Sample records for acoustic neutrino detection

The evidence of the existing of UHE (E>10eV) cosmic rays and its possible connection to UHE neutrino suggests the building of an acoustic telescope for neutrino, exploiting thermo-acoustic effect. We present software for neutrinoacoustic signal detection and localization. The main points discussed here are the sea noise model, the determination of time differences of arrival (TDOA) between hydrophones signals, the source localization algorithm, and the telescope geometry effect. The effect of TDOAs errors and telescope geometry on the localization accuracy is also discussed.

The evidence of the existing of UHE (E>1019eV) cosmic rays and its possible connection to UHE neutrino suggests the building of an acoustic telescope for neutrino, exploiting thermo-acoustic effect. We present software for neutrinoacoustic signal detection and localization. The main points discussed here are the sea noise model, the determination of time differences of arrival (TDOA) between hydrophones signals, the source localization algorithm, and the telescope geometry effect. The effect of TDOAs errors and telescope geometry on the localization accuracy is also discussed.

The evidence of the existing of UHE (E>10{sup 19}eV) cosmic rays and its possible connection to UHE neutrino suggests the building of an acoustic telescope for neutrino, exploiting thermo-acoustic effect. We present software for neutrinoacoustic signal detection and localization. The main points discussed here are the sea noise model, the determination of time differences of arrival (TDOA) between hydrophones signals, the source localization algorithm, and the telescope geometry effect. The effect of TDOAs errors and telescope geometry on the localization accuracy is also discussed.

This article focuses on signal classification for deep-sea acousticneutrinodetection. In the deep sea, the background of transient signals is very diverse. Approaches like matched filtering are not sufficient to distinguish between neutrino-like signals and other transient signals with similar signature, which are forming the acoustic background for neutrinodetection in the deep-sea environment. A classification system based on machine learning algorithms is analysed with the goal to find a robust and effective way to perform this task. For a well-trained model, a testing error on the level of one percent is achieved for strong classifiers like Random Forest and Boosting Trees using the extracted features of the signal as input and utilising dense clusters of sensors instead of single sensors.

Cosmic neutrinos with ultra high energies can be detectedacoustically using hydrophones. The detection of these neutrinos may provide crucial information about then GZK mechanism. The flux of these neutrinos, however, is expected to be low, so that a detection volume is required more than a order of magnitude larger than what has presently been realized. With a large detection volume and a large number of hydrophones, there is a need for technology that is cheap and easy to deploy. Fiber optics provide a natural way for distributed sensing. In addition, a sensor has been designed and manufactured that can be produced cost-effectively on an industrial scale. Sensitivity measurements show that the sensor is able to reach the required sea-state zero level. For a proper interpretation of the expected bipolar signals, filtering techniques should be applied to remove the effects of the unwanted resonance peaks.

A promising approach to measure the expected low flux of cosmic neutrinos at the highest energies (E > 1 EeV) is acousticdetection. There are different in-situ test installations worldwide in water and ice to measure the acoustic properties of the medium with regard to the feasibility of acousticneutrinodetection. The parameters of interest include attenuation length, sound speed profile, background noise level and transient backgrounds. The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) has been ...

The ANTARES Neutrino Telescope is a water Cherenkov detector currently under construction in the Mediterranean Sea. It is also designed to serve as a platform for investigations of the deep-sea environment. In this context, the ANTARES group at the University of Erlangen will integrate acoustic sensors within the infrastructure of the experiment. With this dedicated setup, tests of acoustic particle detection methods and deep-sea acoustic background studies shall be performed. The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of a future acousticneutrino telescope in the deep sea operating in the ultra-high energy regime. In these proceedings, the implementation of the project is described in the context of the premises and challenges set by the physics of acoustic particle detection and the integration into an existing infrastructure

The ANTARES Neutrino Telescope is a water Cherenkov detector currently under construction in the Mediterranean Sea. It is also designed to serve as a platform for investigations of the deep-sea environment. In this context, the ANTARES group at the University of Erlangen will integrate acoustic sensors within the infrastructure of the experiment. With this dedicated setup, tests of acoustic particle detection methods and deep-sea acoustic background studies shall be performed. The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of a future acousticneutrino telescope in the deep sea operating in the ultra-high energy regime. In these proceedings, the implementation of the project is described in the context of the premises and challenges set by the physics of acoustic particle detection and the integration into an existing infrastructure.

A promising approach to measure the expected low flux of cosmic neutrinos at the highest energies (E > 1 EeV) is acousticdetection. There are different in-situ test installations worldwide in water and ice to measure the acoustic properties of the medium with regard to the feasibility of acousticneutrinodetection. The parameters of interest include attenuation length, sound speed profile, background noise level and transient backgrounds. The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) has been deployed in the upper 500 m of drill holes for the IceCube neutrino observatory at the geographic South Pole. In-situ calibration of sensors under the combined influence of low temperature, high ambient pressure, and ice-sensor acoustic coupling is difficult. We discuss laboratory calibrations in water and ice. Two new laboratory facilities, the Aachen Acoustic Laboratory (AAL) and the Wuppertal Water Tank Test Facility, have been set up. They offer large volumes of bubble free ice (3 m^3) and water (11 m^3) for the devel...

The detection of acoustic signals from ultra-high energy neutrino interactions is a promising method to measure the tiny flux of cosmogenic neutrinos expected on Earth. The energy threshold for this process depends strongly on the absolute noise level in the target material. The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS), deployed in the upper part of four boreholes of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, has monitored the noise in Antarctic ice at the geographic South Pole for more than two years down to 500 m depth. The noise is very stable and Gaussian distributed. Lacking an in-situ calibration up to now, laboratory measurements have been used to estimate the absolute noise level in the 10 to 50 kHz frequency range to be smaller than 20 mPa. Using a threshold trigger, sensors of the South Pole Acoustic Test Setup registered acoustic pulse-like events in the IceCube detector volume and its vicinity. Acoustic signals from refreezing IceCube holes and from anthropogenic sources have been used to localize acoustic e...

The ANTARES collaboration is currently installing a neutrino telescope off the French Mediterranean coast to measure diffuse fluxes and point sources of high energy cosmic neutrinos. The complete detector will consist of 900 photomultipliers on 12 detector lines, using 0.01km3 of sea water as target material. As part of the ANTARES deep-sea research infrastructure, the Erlangen group is planning to modify several ANTARES storeys by fitting them with acoustic receivers to study the feasibility of acousticneutrinodetection in the deep sea. In this paper, studies of the electromechanical properties of piezoelectric sensors are presented, based on an equivalent circuit diagram for the coupled mechanical and electrical oscillations of a piezoelectric element. A method for obtaining the system parameters as well as derivations of sensor properties like pressure sensitivity and intrinsic noise are treated and results compared to measurements. Finally, a possible application of these results for simulating system response and optimising reconstruction algorithms is discussed

We investigate the possibility to detect ultra high energy neutrinos (UHE, 1018+ eV) by the mean of underwater acoustic methods. This study is based on experimental measurements and, when none of those are available, on numerical simulations. The sea water acts as a target for neutrinos of cosmic origin. The electroweak interaction of high energy neutrinos with water molecules leads to a cascade of secondary particles resulting in the emission of an ultra-sonic impulse by a thermo-acoustic coupling mechanism. This mechanism is little efficient, however the generated signal has good propagation properties. Ambient sea noise, as well as the self noise of the ceramic transducers used for the detection, restrict the method to UHE. In addition, the strong directivity of the signal implies that location methods, by the detection in coincidence on multiple detectors, are little efficient. At extremely high energies (1020+ eV) and for a single detector we estimate the sensitivity limit of this acoustic method to be of the order of E2*φ 106 GeV cm-2 sr-1*s-1, for an astrophysical flux 0 falling as 1/E2. (author)

When high-energy particles interact in dense media to produce a particle shower, most of the shower energy is deposited in the medium as heat. This causes the medium to expand locally and emit a shock wave with a medium-dependent peak frequency on the order of 10 kHz. In South Pole ice in particular, the elastic properties of the medium have been theorized to provide good coupling of particle energy to acoustic energy. The acoustic attenuation length has been theorized to be several km, which could enable a sparsely instrumented large-volume detector to search for rare signals from high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. We simulated a hybrid optical/radio/acoustic extension to the IceCube array, specifically intended to detect cosmogenic (GZK) neutrinos with multiple methods simultaneously in order to achieve high confidence in a discovered signal and to measure angular, temporal, and spectral distributions of GZK neutrinos. This work motivated the design, deployment, and operation of the South Pole Acoustic Te...

Parametric acoustic sources technique has been widely used in several fields of acoustics, especially in underwater acoustics with the aim to obtain very directive transducers. In this paper we present different studies and developments done during last years to develop a compact acoustic calibrator that allows emitting acousticneutrino like signal with the goal to calibrate arrays of acoustic receiver sensors to detect ultra-high energy neutrinos.

In April 2006, a 4-channel acoustic antenna has been put in long-term operation on Lake Baikal. The detector was installed at a depth of about 100 m on the instrumentation string of Baikal Neutrino Telescope NT200+. This detector may be regarded as a prototype of a subunit for a future underwater acousticneutrino telescope. We describe the design of acoustic detector and present first results obtained from data analysis.

The AMADEUS (ANTARES Modules for the AcousticDetection Under the Sea) system which is described in this article aims at the investigation of techniques for acousticdetection of neutrinos in the deep sea. It is integrated into the ANTARES neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea. Its acoustic sensors, installed at water depths between 2050 and 2300 m, employ piezo-electric elements for the broad-band recording of signals with frequencies ranging up to 125 kHz. The typical sensitivity of the sensors is around -145 dB re 1V/muPa (including preamplifier). Completed in May 2008, AMADEUS consists of six "acoustic clusters", each comprising six acoustic sensors that are arranged at distances of roughly 1 m from each other. Two vertical mechanical structures (so-called lines) of the ANTARES detector host three acoustic clusters each. Spacings between the clusters range from 14.5 to 340 m. Each cluster contains custom-designed electronics boards to amplify and digitise the acoustic signals from the sensors. An on...

The AMADEUS (ANTARES Modules for the AcousticDetection Under the Sea) system which is described in this article aims at the investigation of techniques for acousticdetection of neutrinos in the deep sea. It is integrated into the ANTARES neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea. Its acoustic sensors, installed at water depths between 2050 and 2300 m, employ piezo-electric elements for the broad-band recording of signals with frequencies ranging up to 125 kHz. The typical sensitivity of the sensors is around -145 dB re 1 V/μPa (including preamplifier). Completed in May 2008, AMADEUS consists of six 'acoustic clusters', each comprising six acoustic sensors that are arranged at distances of roughly 1 m from each other. Two vertical mechanical structures (so-called lines) of the ANTARES detector host three acoustic clusters each. Spacings between the clusters range from 14.5 to 340 m. Each cluster contains custom-designed electronics boards to amplify and digitise the acoustic signals from the sensors. An on-shore computer cluster is used to process and filter the data stream and store the selected events. The daily volume of recorded data is about 10 GB. The system is operating continuously and automatically, requiring only little human intervention. AMADEUS allows for extensive studies of both transient signals and ambient noise in the deep sea, as well as signal correlations on several length scales and localisation of acoustic point sources. Thus the system is excellently suited to assess the background conditions for the measurement of the bipolar pulses expected to originate from neutrino interactions.

The AMADEUS (ANTARES Modules for the AcousticDetection Under the Sea) system which is described in this article aims at the investigation of techniques for acousticdetection of neutrinos in the deep sea. It is integrated into the ANTARES neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea. Its acoustic sensors, installed at water depths between 2050 and 2300 m, employ piezo-electric elements for the broad-band recording of signals with frequencies ranging up to 125 kHz. The typical sensitivity of the sensors is around -145 dB re 1 V/{mu}Pa (including preamplifier). Completed in May 2008, AMADEUS consists of six 'acoustic clusters', each comprising six acoustic sensors that are arranged at distances of roughly 1 m from each other. Two vertical mechanical structures (so-called lines) of the ANTARES detector host three acoustic clusters each. Spacings between the clusters range from 14.5 to 340 m. Each cluster contains custom-designed electronics boards to amplify and digitise the acoustic signals from the sensors. An on-shore computer cluster is used to process and filter the data stream and store the selected events. The daily volume of recorded data is about 10 GB. The system is operating continuously and automatically, requiring only little human intervention. AMADEUS allows for extensive studies of both transient signals and ambient noise in the deep sea, as well as signal correlations on several length scales and localisation of acoustic point sources. Thus the system is excellently suited to assess the background conditions for the measurement of the bipolar pulses expected to originate from neutrino interactions.

The acousticdetection method is a promising option for future neutrino telescopes operating in the ultra-high energy regime. It utilises the effect that a cascade evolving from a neutrino interaction generates a sound wave, and is applicable in different target materials like water, ice and salt. Described here are the developments in and the plans for the research on acoustic particle detection in water performed by the ANTARES group at the University of Erlangen within the framework of the ANTARES experiment in the Mediterranean Sea. A set of acoustic sensors will be integrated into this optical neutrino telescope to test acoustic particle detection methods and perform background studies.

The ANTARES Neutrino Telescope is a water Cherenkov detector composed of an array of approximately 900 photomultiplier tubes in 12 vertical strings, spread over an area of about 0.1 km^2 with an instrumented height of about 350 metres. ANTARES, built in the Mediterranean Sea, is the biggest neutrino Telescope operating in the northern hemisphere. Acoustic sensors (AMADEUS project) have been integrated into the infrastructure of ANTARES, grouped in small arrays, to evaluate the feasibility of ...

Full Text Available The acousticneutrinodetection technique is a promising approach for future large-scale detectors with the aim of measuring the small expected flux of cosmogenic neutrinos at energies exceeding 1 EeV. It suggests itself to investigate this technique in the context of underwater Cherenkov neutrino telescopes, in particular KM3NeT, because acoustic sensors are present by design to allow for the calibration of the positions of the optical sensors. For the future, the KM3NeT detector in the Mediterranean Sea will provide an ideal infrastructure for a dedicated array of acoustic sensors. In this presentation results from the acoustic array AMADEUS of the ANTARES detector will be discussed with respect to the potential and implications for acousticneutrinodetection with KM3NeT and beyond.

Arrays of acoustic receivers are an integral part of present and potential future Cherenkov neutrino telescopes in the deep sea. They measure the positions of individual detector elements which vary with time as an effect of undersea currents. At the same time, the acoustic receivers can be employed for marine science purposes, in particular for monitoring the ambient noise environment and the signals emitted by the fauna of the sea. And last but not least, they can be used for studies towards acousticdetection of ultra-high-energy neutrinos. Measuring acoustic pressure pulses in huge underwater acoustic arrays with an instrumented volume of the order of 100 km{sup 3} is a promising approach for the detection of cosmic neutrinos with energies exceeding 1 EeV. Pressure signals are produced by the particle cascades that evolve when neutrinos interact with nuclei in water, and can be detected over large distances in the kilometre range. In this article, the status of acousticdetection will be reviewed and plans for the future – most notably in the context of KM3NeT – will be discussed. The connection between neutrinodetection, position calibration and marine science will be illustrated.

Arrays of acoustic receivers are an integral part of present and potential future Cherenkov neutrino telescopes in the deep sea. They measure the positions of individual detector elements which vary with time as an effect of undersea currents. At the same time, the acoustic receivers can be employed for marine science purposes, in particular for monitoring the ambient noise environment and the signals emitted by the fauna of the sea. And last but not least, they can be used for studies towards acousticdetection of ultra-high-energy neutrinos. Measuring acoustic pressure pulses in huge underwater acoustic arrays with an instrumented volume of the order of 100 km^3 is a promising approach for the detection of cosmic neutrinos with energies exceeding 1 EeV. Pressure signals are produced by the particle cascades that evolve when neutrinos interact with nuclei in water, and can be detected over large distances in the kilometre range. In this article, the status of acousticdetection will be reviewed and plans for...

The freestreaming of cosmological neutrinos prior to recombination of the baryon-photon plasma alters gravitational potentials and therefore the details of the time-dependent gravitational driving of acoustic oscillations. We report here a first detection of the resulting shifts in the temporal phase of the oscillations, which we infer from their signature in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature power spectrum. The magnitude of the shift is proportional to the fraction of the total radiation density in neutrinos. Parameterizing the shift via an effective number of neutrino species we find $1.9 < N_\

This thesis investigates a new approach towards the detection of ultra high energy (E > 1 EeV) cosmic neutrinos using acoustic sensors immersed in water. The method is based on the thermoacoustic model describing the production of microsecond acoustic pulses from neutrino-induced particle cascades. These cascades locally heat the medium which leads to rapid expansion and a short sonic pulse detectable in water with hydrophones over distances of several kilometres. This makes acoustic detectio...

The unimpeded relativistic propagation of cosmological neutrinos prior to recombination of the baryon-photon plasma alters gravitational potentials and therefore the details of the time-dependent gravitational driving of acoustic oscillations. We report here a first detection of the resulting shifts in the temporal phase of the oscillations, which we infer from their signature in the cosmic microwave background temperature power spectrum. PMID:26371637

This thesis investigates the detection of ultra high energy (E > 1 EeV) cosmic neutrinos using acoustic sensors immersed in water. The method is based on the thermoacoustic model describing the production of microsecond bipolar acoustic pulses by neutrino-induced particle cascades. These cascades locally heat the medium which leads to rapid expansion and a short sonic pulse detectable in water with hydrophones over distances of several kilometres. This makes acousticdetection an approach complementary to todays optical Cerenkov and radio Cerenkov detectors, and could help to reduce the respective systematic uncertainties. In this work a complete simulation / reconstruction chain for a submarine acousticneutrino telescope is developed, and the sensitivity of such a detector to a diffuse flux of ultra highenergy cosmic neutrinos is estimated.

Underwater acousticdetection of ultra-high-energy neutrinos was proposed already in 1950s: when a neutrino interacts with a nucleus in water, the resulting particle cascade produces a pressure pulse that has a bipolar temporal structure and propagates within a flat disk-like volume. A telescope that consists of thousands of acoustic sensors deployed in the deep sea can monitor hundreds of cubic kilometres of water looking for these signals and discriminating them from acoustic noise. To study the feasibility of the technique it is critical to have a calibrator able to mimic the neutrino "signature" that can be operated from a vessel. Due to the axial-symmetry of the signal, their very directive short bipolar shape and the constraints of operating at sea, the development of such a calibrator is very challenging. Once the possibility of using the acoustic parametric technique for this aim was validated with the first compact array calibrator prototype, in this paper we describe the new design for such a calibrator composed of an array of piezo ceramic tube transducers emitting in axial direction.

Full Text Available Underwater acousticdetection of ultra-high-energy neutrinos was proposed already in 1950s: when a neutrino interacts with a nucleus in water, the resulting particle cascade produces a pressure pulse that has a bipolar temporal structure and propagates within a flat disk-like volume. A telescope that consists of thousands of acoustic sensors deployed in the deep sea can monitor hundreds of cubic kilometres of water looking for these signals and discriminating them from acoustic noise. To study the feasibility of the technique it is critical to have a calibrator able to mimic the neutrino “signature” that can be operated from a vessel. Due to the axial-symmetry of the signal, their very directive short bipolar shape and the constraints of operating at sea, the development of such a calibrator is very challenging. Once the possibility of using the acoustic parametric technique for this aim was validated with the first compact array calibrator prototype, in this paper we describe the new design for such a calibrator composed of an array of piezo ceramic tube transducers emitting in axial direction.

Ultra high energy neutrinos may be observed in ice by the emission of acoustic signals. The SPATS detector has investigated the possibility of observing GZK-neutrinos in the clear ice near the South Pole at the IceCube detector site. To explore other potential detection sites glacial ice in the Alps and in Antarctica has been surveyed for its acoustical properties. The purpose of the Enceladus Explorer (EnEx), on the other hand, is the search for extraterrestrial life on the Saturn moon Enceladus. Here acoustics is used to maneuver a subsurface probe inside the ice by trilateration of signals. A system of acoustic transducers has been developed to study both applications. In the south polar region of the moon Enceladus there are secluded crevasses. These are filled with liquid water, probably heated by tidal forces due to the short distance to Saturn. We intend to take a sample of water from these crevasses by using a combination of a melt down and steering probe called IceMole (IM). Maneuvering IM requires a...

In this thesis, two subjects have been addressed to enhance the detection of astrophysical neutrinos with the existing IceCube neutrino telescope as well as to explore new detection methods, namely the acousticdetection. In the first part of this thesis, the determination of the acoustic attenuation length in South-Pole ice is presented. This is part of a feasibility study to investigate the acousticneutrinodetection as a possibility to enhance the detection of the highest-energy neutrinos. For this, the acoustic properties of the ice have to be known, and the South-Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) has been built to determine these. The attenuation length is determined using in-situ measurements with SPATS and a retrievable transmitter (pinger), which was deployed in a depth between 190 and 500 m into the water-filled drilling holes. Even though, the unknown angular-dependent sensitivities of the SPATS sensor channels cannot be avoided and are considered as the dominant systematic effect for these measurements. In this thesis, the acoustic attenuation length is calculated by comparing the energy contents of the pinger pulses recorded by the various SPATS sensor channels for different distances between the pinger and the respective channel. The energy was calculated from the Fourier spectra of the pinger pulses for a frequency range between 5 and 35 kHz. The attenuation coefficient is calculated for each channel individually and the weighted mean over the distribution of all considered channels leads to an attenuation length of 264+52-37 m. The dependence of the attenuation on both depth and frequency has been investigated, showing no indications for either. In the second part, a new event reconstruction method based on a Top-Down approach is presented. The method has been implemented for the IC40 detector and applied to the muon energy reconstruction. The Top-Down method is based on the direct comparison of single measured events with a large sample of simulated

In this thesis, two subjects have been addressed to enhance the detection of astrophysical neutrinos with the existing IceCube neutrino telescope as well as to explore new detection methods, namely the acousticdetection. In the first part of this thesis, the determination of the acoustic attenuation length in South-Pole ice is presented. This is part of a feasibility study to investigate the acousticneutrinodetection as a possibility to enhance the detection of the highest-energy neutrinos. For this, the acoustic properties of the ice have to be known, and the South-Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) has been built to determine these. The attenuation length is determined using in-situ measurements with SPATS and a retrievable transmitter (pinger), which was deployed in a depth between 190 and 500 m into the water-filled drilling holes. Even though, the unknown angular-dependent sensitivities of the SPATS sensor channels cannot be avoided and are considered as the dominant systematic effect for these measurements. In this thesis, the acoustic attenuation length is calculated by comparing the energy contents of the pinger pulses recorded by the various SPATS sensor channels for different distances between the pinger and the respective channel. The energy was calculated from the Fourier spectra of the pinger pulses for a frequency range between 5 and 35 kHz. The attenuation coefficient is calculated for each channel individually and the weighted mean over the distribution of all considered channels leads to an attenuation length of 264{sup +52} {sub -37} m. The dependence of the attenuation on both depth and frequency has been investigated, showing no indications for either. In the second part, a new event reconstruction method based on a Top-Down approach is presented. The method has been implemented for the IC40 detector and applied to the muon energy reconstruction. The Top-Down method is based on the direct comparison of single measured events with a large sample

In this paper acoustic transmitters that were developed for use in underwater neutrino telescopes are presented. Firstly, an acoustic transceiver has been developed as part of the acoustic positioning system of neutrino telescopes. These infrastructures are not completely rigid and require a positioning system in order to monitor the position of the optical sensors which move due to sea currents. To guarantee a reliable and versatile system, the transceiver has the requirements of reduced cost, low power consumption, high pressure withstanding (up to 500 bars), high intensity for emission, low intrinsic noise, arbitrary signals for emission and the capacity of acquiring and processing received signals. Secondly, a compact acoustic transmitter array has been developed for the calibration of acousticneutrinodetection systems. The array is able to mimic the signature of ultra-high-energy neutrino interaction in emission directivity and signal shape. The technique of parametric acoustic sources has been used to...

Full Text Available In this paper acoustic transmitters that were developed for use in underwater neutrino telescopes are presented. Firstly, an acoustic transceiver has been developed as part of the acoustic positioning system of neutrino telescopes. These infrastructures are not completely rigid and require a positioning system in order to monitor the position of the optical sensors which move due to sea currents. To guarantee a reliable and versatile system, the transceiver has the requirements of reduced cost, low power consumption, high pressure withstanding (up to 500 bars, high intensity for emission, low intrinsic noise, arbitrary signals for emission and the capacity of acquiring and processing received signals. Secondly, a compact acoustic transmitter array has been developed for the calibration of acousticneutrinodetection systems. The array is able to mimic the signature of ultra-high-energy neutrino interaction in emission directivity and signal shape. The technique of parametric acoustic sources has been used to achieve the proposed aim. The developed compact array has practical features such as easy manageability and operation. The prototype designs and the results of different tests are described. The techniques applied for these two acoustic systems are so powerful and versatile that may be of interest in other marine applications using acoustic transmitters.

Astrophysical neutrinos at $\\sim$EeV energies promise to be an interesting source for astrophysics and particle physics. Detecting the predicted cosmogenic ("GZK") neutrinos at 10$^{16}$ - 10$^{20}$ eV would test models of cosmic ray production at these energies and probe particle physics at $\\sim$100 TeV center-of-mass energy. While IceCube could detect $\\sim$1 GZK event per year, it is necessary to detect 10 or more events per year in order to study temporal, angular, and spectral distributions. The IceCube observatory may be able to achieve such event rates with an extension including optical, radio, and acoustic receivers. We present results from simulating such a hybrid detector.

The International Conference on Acoustic and Radio EeV Neutrino Activities, ARENA 2006 was jointly hosted by the Universities of Northumbria and Sheffield at the City of Newcastle Campus of the University of Northumbria in June 2006. ARENA 2006 was the latest in a series of meetings which have addressed, either separately or jointly, the use of radio and acoustic sensors for the detection of highly relativistic particles. Previous successful meetings have taken place in Los Angeles (RADHEP, 2000), Stanford (2003) and DESY Zeuthen (ARENA 2005). A total of 50 scientists from across Europe, the US and Japan attended the conference presenting status reports and results from a number of projects and initiatives spread as far afield as the Sweden and the South Pole. The talks presented at the meeting and the proceedings contained herein represent a `snapshot' of the status of the fields of acoustic and radio detection at the time of the conference. The three day meeting also included two invited talks by Dr Paula Chadwick and Dr Johannes Knapp who gave excellent summaries of the related astroparticle physics fields of high energy gamma ray detection and high energy cosmic ray detection respectively. As well as a full academic agenda there were social events including a Medieval themed conference banquet at Lumley Castle and a civic reception kindly provided by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle and hosted at the Mansion House. Thanks must go to the International Advisory Board members for their input and guidance, the Local Organising Committee for their hard work in bringing everything together and finally the delegates for the stimulating, enthusiastic and enjoyable spirit in which ARENA 2006 took place. Lee Thompson International Advisory Board G. Anton, ErlangenD. Besson, Kansas J. Blümer, KarlsruheA. Capone, Rome H. Falcke, BonnP. Gorham, Hawaii G. Gratta, StanfordF. Halzen, Madison J. Learned, HawaiiR. Nahnhauer, Zeuthen A. Rostovtzev, MoscowD. Saltzberg, Los Angeles L

This paper discusses hydrophone calibration for generation of artificial Ultra High Energy (UHE) neutrino-induced pulses. Signal processing techniques are applied to hydrophone modelling. A bipolar acoustic generation module is built using PIC microcontrollers for processing and control. The NI-USB6211 commercial module is used for comparison. The modelling is compared to experimental data generated in a laboratory water tank. The result from simulation and experiment are compared, showing excellent agreement. This opens the way to excite steerable hydrophone arrays, which was not possible with previous hardware.

This paper discusses hydrophone calibration for generation of artificial Ultra High Energy (UHE) neutrino-induced pulses. Signal processing techniques are applied to hydrophone modelling. A bipolar acoustic generation module is built using PIC microcontrollers for processing and control. The NI-USB6211 commercial module is used for comparison. The modelling is compared to experimental data generated in a laboratory water tank. The result from simulation and experiment are compared, showing excellent agreement. This opens the way to excite steerable hydrophone arrays, which was not possible with previous hardware.

This paper discusses hydrophone calibration for generation of artificial Ultra High Energy (UHE) neutrino-induced pulses. Signal processing techniques are applied to hydrophone modelling. A bipolar acoustic generation module is built using PIC microcontrollers for processing and control. The NI-USB6211 commercial module is used for comparison. The modelling is compared to experimental data generated in a laboratory water tank. The result from simulation and experiment are compared, showing excellent agreement. This opens the way to excite steerable hydrophone arrays, which was not possible with previous hardware.

In addition to the optical detection system used by the ANTARES detector, a proposal was made to include an acoustic system consisting of several modified ANTARES storeys to investigate the feasibility of building and operating an acoustic particle detection system in the deep sea and at the same time perform an extensive study of the acoustic properties of the deep sea environment. The directional characteristics of the sensors and their placement within the ANTARES detector had to be optimised for the study of the correlation properties of the acoustic noise at different length scales - from below a metre to above 100 metres. The so-called ''equivalent circuit diagram (=ECD) model'' - was applied to predict the acoustic properties of piezo elements, such as sensitivity and intrinsic noise, and was extended by including effects resulting from the geometrical shape of the sensors. A procedure was devised to gain the relevant ECD parameters from electrical impedance measurements of the piezo elements, both free and coupled to a surrounding medium. Based on the findings of this ECD model, intensive design studies were performed with prototype hydrophones using piezo elements as active sensors. The design best suited for the construction of acoustic sensors for ANTARES was determined, and a total of twelve hydrophones were built with a sensitivity of -145 to -140 dB re 1V/μPa between 5 and 50 kHz and an intrinsic noise power density around -90 dB re 1 V/√(Hz), giving a total noise rms of 7 mV in this frequency range. The hydrophones were pressure tested and calibrated for integration into the ANTARES acoustic system. In addition, three so-called Acoustic Modules, sensors in pressure resistant glass spheres with a sensitive bandwidth of about 80 kHz, were developed and built. The calibration procedure employed during the sensor design studies as well as for the final sensors to be installed in the ANTARES framework is presented, together with exemplary results for

In addition to the optical detection system used by the ANTARES detector, a proposal was made to include an acoustic system consisting of several modified ANTARES storeys to investigate the feasibility of building and operating an acoustic particle detection system in the deep sea and at the same time perform an extensive study of the acoustic properties of the deep sea environment. The directional characteristics of the sensors and their placement within the ANTARES detector had to be optimised for the study of the correlation properties of the acoustic noise at different length scales - from below a metre to above 100 metres. The so-called 'equivalent circuit diagram (=ECD) model' - was applied to predict the acoustic properties of piezo elements, such as sensitivity and intrinsic noise, and was extended by including effects resulting from the geometrical shape of the sensors. A procedure was devised to gain the relevant ECD parameters from electrical impedance measurements of the piezo elements, both free and coupled to a surrounding medium. Based on the findings of this ECD model, intensive design studies were performed with prototype hydrophones using piezo elements as active sensors. The design best suited for the construction of acoustic sensors for ANTARES was determined, and a total of twelve hydrophones were built with a sensitivity of -145 to -140 dB re 1V/{mu}Pa between 5 and 50 kHz and an intrinsic noise power density around -90 dB re 1 V/{radical}(Hz), giving a total noise rms of 7 mV in this frequency range. The hydrophones were pressure tested and calibrated for integration into the ANTARES acoustic system. In addition, three so-called Acoustic Modules, sensors in pressure resistant glass spheres with a sensitive bandwidth of about 80 kHz, were developed and built. The calibration procedure employed during the sensor design studies as well as for the final sensors to be installed in the ANTARES framework is presented, together with

We present a Monte Carlo study of an underwater neutrino telescope based on the detection of acoustic signals generated by neutrino induced cascades. This provides a promising approach to instrument large detector volumes needed to detect the small flux of cosmic neutrinos at ultra-high energies (E > 1 EeV). Acoustic signals are calculated based on the thermo-acoustic model. The signal is propagated to the sensors taking frequency dependent attenuation into account, and detected using a threshold trigger, where acoustic background is included as an effective detection threshold. A simple reconstruction algorithm allows for the determination of the cascade direction and energy. Various detector setups are compared regarding their effective volumes. Sensitivity estimates for the diffuse neutrino flux are presented.

The neutrino burst from a core-collapse supernova can provide information about the star explosion mechanism and the mechanisms of proto neutron star cooling but also about the intrinsic properties of the neutrino such as flavor oscillations. One important question is to understand to which extent can the supernova and the neutrino physics be decoupled in the observation of a single supernova. The capabilities of present and future large underground neutrino detectors to yield information about the time and flavor dependent neutrino signal from a future galactic supernova are described in this paper. Neutrinos from past cosmic supernovae are also observable and their detection will improve our knowledge of the core-collapse rates and average neutrino emission. A comparison between the different experimental techniques is included.

More than 40 years ago, neutrinos where conceived as a way to test the validity of the solar models which tell us that stars are powered by nuclear fusion reactions. The first measurement of the neutrino flux, in 1968 in the Homestake mine in South Dakota, detected only one third of the expected value, originating what has been known as the Solar Neutrino Problem. Different experiments were built in order to understand the origin of this discrepancy. Now we know that neutrinos undergo oscillation phenomenon changing their nature traveling from the core of the Sun to our detectors. In the work the 40 year long saga of the neutrinodetection is presented; from the first proposals to test the solar models to last real time measurements of the low energy part of the neutrino spectrum.

World-wide, several detectors currently running or nearing completion are sensitive to a core collapse supernova neutrino signal in the Galaxy. I will briefly describe the nature of the neutrino signal and then survey current and future detection techniques. I will also explore what physics and astrophysics we can learn from the next Galactic core collapse

We report theoretical and experimental results of on-going feasibility studies to detect cosmic neutrinosacoustically in Lake Baikal. In order to examine ambient noise conditions and to develop respective pulse detection techniques a prototype device was created. The device is operating at a depth of 150 m at the site of the Baikal Neutrino Telescope and is capable to detect and classify acoustic signals with different shapes, as well as signals from neutrino-induced showers.

Acousticneutrinodetection is a promising approach for large-scale ultra-high energy neutrino detectors in water. In this article, a Monte Carlo simulation chain for acousticneutrinodetection devices in water is presented. It is designed within the SeaTray/IceTray software framework. Its modular architecture is highly flexible and makes it easy to adapt to different environmental conditions, detector geometries, and hardware. The simulation chain covers the generation of the acoustic pulse produced by a neutrino interaction and the propagation to the sensors within the detector. In this phase of the development, ambient and transient noise models for the Mediterranean Sea and simulations of the data acquisition hardware, similar to the one used in ANTARES/AMADEUS, are implemented. A pre-selection scheme for neutrino-like signals based on matched filtering is employed, as it can be used for on-line filtering. To simulate the whole processing chain for experimental data, signal classification and acoustic so...

Acousticneutrinodetection is a promising approach for large-scale ultra-high energy neutrino detectors in water. In this paper, a Monte Carlo simulation chain for acousticneutrinodetection devices in water is presented. It is designed within the SeaTray/IceTray software framework. Its modular architecture is highly flexible and makes it easy to adapt to different environmental conditions, detector geometries, and hardware. The simulation chain covers the generation of the acoustic pulse produced by a neutrino interaction and the propagation to the sensors within the detector. In this phase of the development, ambient and transient noise models for the Mediterranean Sea and simulations of the data acquisition hardware, similar to the one used in ANTARES/AMADEUS, are implemented. A pre-selection scheme for neutrino-like signals based on matched filtering is employed, as it can be used for on-line filtering. To simulate the whole processing chain for experimental data, signal classification and acoustic source reconstruction algorithms are integrated. In this contribution, an overview of the design and capabilities of the simulation chain will be given, and some applications and preliminary studies will be presented.

Several experimental techniques are currently under development, to measure the expected tiny fluxes of highest energy neutrinos above 10**18 eV. Projects in different stages of realisation are discussed here, which are based on optical and radio as well as acoustic detectors. For the detection of neutrino events in this energy range a combination of different detector concepts in one experiment seems to be most promising.

This article describes CLEAN, an approach to the detection of low-energy solar neutrinos and neutrinos released from supernovae. The CLEAN concept is based on the detection of elastic scattering events (neutrino-electron scattering and neutrino-nuclear scattering) in liquified noble gases such as liquid helium, liquid neon, and liquid xenon, all of which scintillate brightly in the ultraviolet. Key to the CLEAN technique is the use of a thin film of wavelength-shifting fluor to convert the ultraviolet scintillation light to the visible. This allows the same liquid to be used as both a passive shielding medium and an active self-shielding detector, allowing lower intrinsic radioactive backgrounds at low energies. Liquid neon is a particularly promising medium for CLEAN. Because liquid neon has a high scintillation yield, has no long-lived radioactive isotopes, and can be easily purified by use of cold traps, it is an ideal medium for the detection of rare nuclear events. In addition, neon is inexpensive, dense...

In this paper, we first discuss the detection of supernova neutrino on Earth. Then we propose a possible method to acquire information about $\\theta_{13}$ smaller than $1.5^\\circ$ by detecting the ratio of the event numbers of different flavor supernova neutrinos. Such an sensitivity cannot yet be achieved by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment.

The ANTARES group at the University of Erlangen is working towards the integration of a set of acoustic sensors into the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope. With this setup, tests of acoustic particle detection methods and background studies shall be performed. The ANTARES Neutrino Telescope, which is currently being constructed in the Mediterranean Sea, will be equipped with the infrastructure to accommodate a 3-dimensional array of photomultipliers for the detection of Cherenkov light. Within this infrastructure, the required resources for acoustic sensors are available: Bandwidth for the transmission of the acoustic data to the shore, electrical power for the off-shore electronics and physical space to install the acoustic sensors and to route the connecting cables (transmitting signals and power) into the electronics containers. It will be explained how the integration will be performed with minimal modifications of the existing ANTARES design and which setup is foreseen for the acquisition of the acoustic data.

We consider the supernova shock effects, the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) effects, the collective effects, and the Earth matter effects in the detection of type II supernova neutrinos on the Earth. It is found that the event number of supernova neutrinos depends on the neutrino mass hierarchy, the neutrino mixing angle $\\theta_{13}$, and neutrino masses. Therefore, we propose possible methods to identify the mass hierarchy and acquire information about $\\theta_{13}$ and neutrino masses ...

Matter effects on neutrino oscillations in both, a supernova and the Earth, change the observed supernova neutrino spectra. We calculate the expected number of supernova neutrino interactions for ICARUS, SK and SNO detectors as a function of the distance which they traveled in the Earth. Calculations are performed for supernova type II at 10kpc from the Earth, using standard supernova neutrino fluxes described by thermal Fermi--Dirac distributions and the PREM I Earth matter density profile.

Acousticneutrinodetection is a promising approach to instrument the large detector volumes needed for the detection of the small neutrino fluxes expected at ultra-high energies (E > 1 EeV). We report on several studies investigating the feasibility of such an acoustic detector. High-precision lab measurements using laser and proton beams aiming at the verification of the thermo-acoustic model have been performed. Different types of acoustic sensors have been developed and characterized. An autonomous acoustic system, attached to the ANTARES prototype string "Line0", has been deployed and operated successfully at 2400 m depth, allowing for in-situ studies of the acoustic background in the Mediterranean Sea.

Future cosmological data may be sensitive to the effects of a finite sum of neutrino masses even as small as ~0.06 eV, the lower limit guaranteed by neutrino oscillation experiments. We show that a cosmological detection of neutrino mass at that level would improve by many orders of magnitude the existing limits on neutrino lifetime, and as a consequence on neutrino secret interactions with (quasi-)massless particles as in majoron models. On the other hand, neutrino decay may provide a way-ou...

In this paper, we study the detection of accelerator neutrinos and supernova (SN) neutrinos at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). Firstly, by using the code FLUKA, the processes of accelerator neutrinos production during the proton beam hitting on the tungsten target can be simulated, and the yield efficiency, numerical flux, average energy of different flavor neutrinos are given. Secondly, the detection of accelerator neutrinos through two reaction channels: the neutrino-electron reactions and the neutrino-carbon reactions, is studied, and the neutrino event numbers can be calculated. Finally, while considering the SN shock effects, the MSW effects, the neutrino collective effects, and the Earth matter effects, the detection of SN neutrinos on the Earth is studied. Then, the event numbers of SN neutrinos observed through various reaction channels are given.

Calibration sources are an indispensable tool for all detectors. In acoustic particle detection the goal of a calibration source is to mimic neutrino signatures as expected from hadronic cascades. A simple and promising method for the emulation of neutrino signals are piezo ceramics. We will present results of measruements and simulations on these piezo ceramics.

Acousticneutrinodetectionisapromisingapproachforlarge-scaleultra-highenergyneutrinodetectorsinwater.In this article, a Monte Carlo simulation chain for acousticneutrinodetection devices in water will be presented. The simulation chain covers the generation of the acoustic pulse produced by a neutrino interaction and its propagation to the sensors within the detector. Currently, ambient and transient noise models for the Mediterranean Sea and simulations of the data acquisition hardware, equivalent to the one used in ANTARES/AMADEUS, are implemented. A pre-selection scheme for neutrino-like signals based on matched filtering is employed, as it is used for on-line filtering. To simulate the whole processing chain for experimental data, signal classification and acoustic source reconstruction algorithms are integrated in an analysis chain. An overview of design and capabilities of the simulation and analysis chain will be presented and preliminary studies will be discussed.

This study aims at investigating the feasibility of using low-frequency (pneumothorax detection were tested in dogs. In the first approach, broadband acoustic signals were introduced into the trachea during end-expiration and transmitted waves were measured at the chest surface. Pneumothorax was found to consistently decrease pulmonary acoustic transmission in the 200-1200-Hz frequency band, while less change was observed at lower frequencies (ppneumothorax states (pPneumothorax was found to be associated with a preferential reduction of sound amplitude in the 200- to 700-Hz range, and a decrease of sound amplitude variation (in the 300 to 600-Hz band) during the respiration cycle (pPneumothorax changed the frequency and decay rate of percussive sounds. These results imply that certain medical conditions may be reliably detected using appropriate acoustic measurements and analysis. [Work supported by NIH/NHLBI #R44HL61108.

Future cosmological measurements should enable the sum of neutrino masses to be determined indirectly through their effects on the expansion rate of the Universe and the clustering of matter. We consider prospects for the gravitationally lensed Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations in the galaxy distribution, examining how the projected uncertainty of $\\approx15$ meV on the neutrino mass sum (a 4$\\sigma$ detection of the minimal mass) might be reached over the next decade. The current 1$\\sigma$ uncertainty of $\\approx 103$ meV (Planck-2015+BAO-15) will be improved by upcoming 'Stage-3' CMB experiments (S3+BAO-15: 44 meV), then upcoming BAO measurements (S3+DESI: 22 meV), and planned next-generation 'Stage 4' CMB experiments (S4+DESI: 15-19 meV, depending on angular range). An improved optical depth measurement is important: the projected neutrino mass uncertainty increases to $26$ meV if S4 is limited to $\\ell>20$ and combined with current large-scale polarization data. Loo...

What is new in the field of neutrinodetection? In addition to new projects probing both the low and high ends of the neutrino energy scale, an inexpensive, effective technique is being developed to allow tagging of antineutrinos in water Cherenkov (WC) detectors via the addition to water of a solute with a large neutron cross-section and energetic daughters. Gadolinium is an excellent candidate since in recent years it has become very inexpensive, now less than 8 per kilogram in the form of commercially available gadolinium trichloride. This non-toxic, non-reactive substance is highly soluble in water. Neutron capture on gadolinium yields an 8.0 MeV gamma cascade easily seen in detectors like Super-Kamiokande. The uses of GdCl3 as a possible upgrade for the Super-Kamiokande detector - with a view toward improving its performance as an antineutrino detector for supernova neutrinos and reactor neutrinos - are discussed, as are the ongoing R & D efforts which aim to make this dream a reality within the next two years.

A sterile neutrino with mass in the eV range, mixing with bar nue, is allowed and possibly even preferred by cosmology and oscillation experiments. If such eV-mass neutrinos exist they provide a much better target for direct detection in beta decay experiments than the active neutrinos which...

A flux detection apparatus can include a radioactive sample having a decay rate capable of changing in response to interaction with a first particle or a field, and a detector associated with the radioactive sample. The detector is responsive to a second particle or radiation formed by decay of the radioactive sample. The rate of decay of the radioactive sample can be correlated to flux of the first particle or the field. Detection of the first particle or the field can provide an early warning for an impending solar event.

The neutrinos from a Type II supernova provide perhaps our best opportunity to probe cosmologically interesting muon and/or tauon neutrino masses. This is because matter enhanced neutrino oscillations can lead to an anomalously hot nu_e spectrum, and thus to enhanced charged current cross sections in terrestrial detectors. Two recently proposed supernova neutrino observatories, OMNIS and LAND, will detect neutrons spalled from target nuclei by neutral and charged current neutrino interactions. As this signal is not flavor specific, it is not immediately clear whether a convincing neutrino oscillation signal can be extracted from such experiments. To address this issue we examine the responses of a series of possible light and heavy mass targets, 9Be, 23Na, 35Cl, and 208Pb. We find that strategies for detecting oscillations which use only neutron count rates are problematic at best, even if cross sections are determined by ancillary experiments. Plausible uncertainties in supernova neutrino spectra tend to obs...

A hydro-acoustic imaging system was tested in a pilot study on distant localization of elements of the Baikal underwater neutrino telescope. For this innovative approach, based on broad band acoustic echo signals and strictly avoiding any active acoustic elements on the telescope, the imaging system was temporarily installed just below the ice surface, while the telescope stayed in its standard position at 1100 m depth. The system comprised an antenna with four acoustic projectors positioned at the corners of a 50 m square; acoustic pulses were 'linear sweep-spread signals'-multiple-modulated wide-band signals (10→22 kHz) of 51.2 s duration. Three large objects (two string buoys and the central electronics module) were localized by the 3D acoustic imaging, with an accuracy of ∼0.2 m (along the beam) and ∼1.0 m (transverse). We discuss signal forms and parameters necessary for improved 3D acoustic imaging of the telescope, and suggest a layout of a possible stationary bottom based 3D imaging setup. The presented technique may be of interest for neutrino telescopes of km3-scale and beyond, as a flexible temporary or as a stationary tool to localize basic telescope elements, while these are completely passive.

A hydro-acoustic imaging system was tested in a pilot study on distant localization of elements of the Baikal underwater neutrino telescope. For this innovative approach, based on broad band acoustic echo signals and strictly avoiding any active acoustic elements on the telescope, the imaging system was temporarily installed just below the ice surface, while the telescope stayed in its standard position at 1100 m depth. The system comprised an antenna with four acoustic projectors positioned at the corners of a 50 m square; acoustic pulses were 'linear sweep-spread signals'-multiple-modulated wide-band signals (10{yields}22 kHz) of 51.2 s duration. Three large objects (two string buoys and the central electronics module) were localized by the 3D acoustic imaging, with an accuracy of {approx}0.2 m (along the beam) and {approx}1.0 m (transverse). We discuss signal forms and parameters necessary for improved 3D acoustic imaging of the telescope, and suggest a layout of a possible stationary bottom based 3D imaging setup. The presented technique may be of interest for neutrino telescopes of km{sup 3}-scale and beyond, as a flexible temporary or as a stationary tool to localize basic telescope elements, while these are completely passive.

The Deep Underseas Muon and NeutrinoDetection (DUMAND) Project is briefly described, with emphasis upon the trade-offs between optical and acousticdetection in the proposed cubic kilometer detector. The status of the program, which is nearing the detector design study and testing stage, is discussed

A novel approach is proposed for studying the νμ → ν τ oscillation and detection of extragalactic neutrinos. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), Gamma Ray Bursters (GRB) and Topological Defects are believed to be sources of ultrahigh energy νμ and ντ. These astrophysical sources provide a long baseline of 100Mpc, or more, for possible detection of νμ → ντ oscillation with mixing parameter Δm2 down to 10 −17 eV2, many orders of magnitude below the current accelerator experiments. The propagation characteristics of upward going muon and tau neutrinos is studied to show that high energy tau neutrinos cascade down in energy as they propagate through the Earth, producing an enhancement of the incoming tau neutrino flux in the low energy region. By contrast, high energy muon neutrinos get attenuated as they traverse the Earth. It is observed that the relative steepness of the incoming neutrino flux...

A method is presented for the identification of high-energy neutrinos from gamma ray bursts by means of a large-scale neutrino telescope. The procedure makes use of a time profile stacking technique of observed neutrino induced signals in correlation with satellite observations. By selecting a rather wide time window, a possible difference between the arrival times of the gamma and neutrino signals may also be identified. This might provide insight in the particle production processes at the source. By means of a toy model it will be demonstrated that a statistically significant signal can be obtained with a km$^{3}$-scale neutrino telescope on a sample of 500 gamma ray bursts for a signal rate as low as 1 detectableneutrino for 3% of the bursts.

It remains to be determined experimentally if massive neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. In this connection, it has been recently suggested that the detection of cosmic neutrino background of left-handed neutrinos $\

We study Earth matter effect in oscillation of supernovae neutrinos. We show that detecting Earth matter effect gives an independent measurement of spectra of supernovae neutrinos, i.e. the flavor difference of the spectra of supernovae neutrinos. We study the effect of energy resolution and angular resolution of final electron or positron on detecting the signal of Earth matter effect. We show that varying the widths of energy bins in analysis can change the signal strength of Earth matter effect and the statistical fluctuation. A reasonable choice of energy bins can both suppress the statistical fluctuation and make out a good signal strength relative to the statistical fluctuation. Neutrino detectors with good energy resolution and good angular resolution are therefore preferred so that there are more freedom to vary energy bins and to optimize the signal of Earth matter effect in analyzing events of supernovae neutrinos.

The νe-56Fe cross section is evaluated in the projected quasiparticle random phase approximation (PQRPA). This model solves the puzzle observed in RPA for nuclei with mass around 12C, because it is the only RPA model that treats the Pauli Principle correctly. The cross sections as a function of the incident neutrino energy are compared with recent theoretical calculations of similar models. The average cross section weighted with the flux spectrum yields a good agreement with the experimental data. The expected number of events in the detection of supernova neutrinos is calculated for the LVD detector, leading to an upper limit for the electron neutrino energy of particular importance in this experiment

Current underwater optical neutrino telescopes are designed to detectneutrinos from astrophysical sources with energies in the TeV range. Due to the low fluxes and small cross sections, no high energy neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin have been observed so far. Only the Cherenkov neutrino detectors on the km{sup 3} scale that are currently under construction will have the necessary volume to observe these rare interactions. For the guaranteed source of neutrinos from interactions of the ultra-high energy cosmic at EeV energies rays with the ambient cosmic microwave background, event rates of only one per year are expected in these experiments. To measure the flux and verify the predicted cross sections of these cosmogenic neutrinos, an observed volume of the order of 100 km{sup 3} will be necessary, that will not be feasible with existing detection techniques. Alternative methods are required to build a detector on these scales. One promising idea is to record the acoustic waves generated in hadronic or electromagnetic cascades following the neutrino interaction. The higher amplitudes of the sonic signal and the large expected absorption length of sound favour South Polar ice instead of sea water as a medium. The prerequisites for an estimate of the potential of such a detector are suitable acoustic sensors, a verification of the model of thermo-acoustic sound generation and a determination of the acoustic properties of the ice. In a theoretical derivation the mechanism of thermo-elastic excitation of acoustic waves was shown to be equivalent for isotropic solids and liquids. Following a detailed analysis of the existing knowledge a simulation study of a hybrid optical-radio-acoustic detector has been performed. Ultrasonic sensors dedicated to in-ice application were developed and have been used to record acoustic signals from intense proton and laser beams in water and ice. With the obtained experience, the hitherto largest array of acoustic sensors and

Current underwater optical neutrino telescopes are designed to detectneutrinos from astrophysical sources with energies in the TeV range. Due to the low fluxes and small cross sections, no high energy neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin have been observed so far. Only the Cherenkov neutrino detectors on the km3 scale that are currently under construction will have the necessary volume to observe these rare interactions. For the guaranteed source of neutrinos from interactions of the ultra-high energy cosmic at EeV energies rays with the ambient cosmic microwave background, event rates of only one per year are expected in these experiments. To measure the flux and verify the predicted cross sections of these cosmogenic neutrinos, an observed volume of the order of 100 km3 will be necessary, that will not be feasible with existing detection techniques. Alternative methods are required to build a detector on these scales. One promising idea is to record the acoustic waves generated in hadronic or electromagnetic cascades following the neutrino interaction. The higher amplitudes of the sonic signal and the large expected absorption length of sound favour South Polar ice instead of sea water as a medium. The prerequisites for an estimate of the potential of such a detector are suitable acoustic sensors, a verification of the model of thermo-acoustic sound generation and a determination of the acoustic properties of the ice. In a theoretical derivation the mechanism of thermo-elastic excitation of acoustic waves was shown to be equivalent for isotropic solids and liquids. Following a detailed analysis of the existing knowledge a simulation study of a hybrid optical-radio-acoustic detector has been performed. Ultrasonic sensors dedicated to in-ice application were developed and have been used to record acoustic signals from intense proton and laser beams in water and ice. With the obtained experience, the hitherto largest array of acoustic sensors and transmitters was

We present a novel method for detecting the relic neutrino background that takes advantage of structured quantum degeneracy to amplify the drag force from neutrinos scattering off a detector. Developing this idea, we present a characterization of the present day relic neutrino distribution in an arbitrary frame, including the influence of neutrino mass and neutrino reheating by e{sup +}e{sup -} annihilation. We present explicitly the neutrino velocity and de Broglie wavelength distributions for the case of an Earthbound observer. Considering that relic neutrinos could exhibit quantum liquid features at the present day temperature and density, we discuss the impact of neutrino fluid correlations on the possibility of resonant detection. (orig.)

Several projects are underway aimed at developing techniques to detect low energy (Eν < 1 keV) neutrinos. They are based on cryogenic methods. The reasons why the study of solar neutrinos requires such techniques, the principles on which they are based and their present status are discussed. Especially, the crystal technique and the superfluid helium technique is considered. (author) 13 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) is located in the upper part of the optical neutrino observatory IceCube, currently under construction. SPATS consists of four strings at depths between 80 m and 500 m below the surface of the ice with seven stages per string. Each stage is equipped with an acoustic sensor and a transmitter. Three strings (string A-C) were deployed in the austral summer 2006/07. SPATS was extended by a fourth string (string D) with second generation sensors and transmitters in 2007/08. One second generation sensor type HADES (Hydrophone for AcousticDetection at South Pole) consists of a ring-shaped piezo-electric element coated with polyurethane. The development of the sensor, optimization of acoustic transmission by acoustic impedance matching and first in-situ results will be discussed.

The existence of the cosmic neutrino background (CnuB) is a fundamental prediction of the standard Big Bang cosmology. Although current cosmological probes provide indirect observational evidence, the direct detection of the CnuB in a laboratory experiment is a great challenge to the present experimental techniques. We discuss the future prospects for the direct detection of the CnuB, with the emphasis on the method of captures on beta-decaying nuclei and the PTOLEMY project. Other possibilities using the electron-capture (EC) decaying nuclei, the annihilation of extremely high-energy cosmic neutrinos (EHEC\

IceCube was completed in December 2010. It forms a lattice of 5160 photomultiplier tubes that monitor a volume of ∼ 1 km3 in the deep Antarctic ice for particle induced photons. The telescope was designed to detectneutrinos with energies greater than 100 GeV. Owing to subfreezing ice temperatures, the photomultiplier dark noise rates are particularly low. Hence IceCube can also detect large numbers of MeV neutrinos by observing a collective rise in all photomultiplier rates on top of the dark noise. With 2 ms timing resolution, IceCube can track subtle features in the temporal development of the supernova neutrino burst. For a supernova at the galactic center, its sensitivity matches that of a background-free megaton-scale supernova search experiment. The sensitivity decreases to 20 standard deviations at the galactic edge (30 kpc) and 6 standard deviations at the Large Magellanic Cloud (50 kpc). IceCube is sending triggers from potential supernovae to the Supernova Early Warning System. The sensitivity to neutrino properties such as the neutrino hierarchy is discussed and simulations of tantalizing signatures, such as the formation of a quark star or a black hole as well as the characteristics of shock waves are presented. All results are preliminary.

In the standard big bang cosmology the canonical value for the ratio of relic neutrinos to cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons is 9/11. Within the framework of the standard model of particle physics there are small corrections, in sum about 1% , due to slight heating of neutrinos by electron-positron annihilations and finite-temperature QED effects. We show that this leads to changes in the predicted CMB anisotropies that will bias determination of the other cosmological parameters if not correctly taken into account. These changes might be detected by future satellite experiments. copyright 1999 The American Physical Society

After considering supernova shock effects, Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effects, neutrino collective effects, and Earth matter effects, the detection of supernova neutrinos at the China Spallation Neutron Source is studied and the expected numbers of different flavor supernova neutrinos observed through various reaction channels are calculated with the neutrino energy spectra described by the Fermi-Dirac distribution and the “beta fit” distribution respectively. Furthermore, the numerical calculation method of supernova neutrinodetection on Earth is applied to some other spallation neutron sources, and the total expected numbers of supernova neutrinos observed through different reactions channels are given. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11205185, 11175020, 11275025, 11575023)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains detections of acoustic tagged fish from two general locations: Golden Gate (east and west line) and Pt. Reyes. Several Vemco 69khz acoustic...

After considering the supernova shock effects, the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effects, the neutrino collective effects, and the Earth matter effects, the detection of supernova neutrinos at China Spallation Neutron Sources is studied and the event numbers of different flavor supernova neutrinos observed through various reaction channels are calculated with the neutrino energy spectra described by the Fermi-Dirac distribution and "beta fit" distribution respectively. Furthermore, the numeric...

The West Indian manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) has become endangered partly because of a growing number of collisions with boats. A system to warn boaters of the presence of manatees, that can signal to boaters that manatees are present in the immediate vicinity, could potentially reduce these boat collisions. In order to identify the presence of manatees, acoustic methods are employed. Within this paper, three different detection algorithms are used to detect the calls of the West Indian manatee. The detection systems are tested in the laboratory using simulated manatee vocalizations from an audio compact disk. The detection method that provides the best overall performance is able to correctly identify ~96% of the manatee vocalizations. However, the system also results in a false alarm rate of ~16%. The results of this work may ultimately lead to the development of a manatee warning system that can warn boaters of the presence of manatees.

IceCube was completed in December 2010. It forms a lattice of 5160 photomultiplier tubes that monitor a volume of ~ 1 cubic km in the deep Antarctic ice for particle induced photons. The telescope was designed to detectneutrinos with energies greater than 100 GeV. Owing to subfreezing ice temperatures, the photomultiplier dark noise rates are particularly low. Hence IceCube can also detect large numbers of MeV neutrinos by observing a collective rise in all photomultiplier rates on top of the dark noise. With 2 ms timing resolution, IceCube can track subtle features in the temporal development of the supernova neutrino burst. For a supernova at the galactic center, its sensitivity matches that of a background-free megaton-scale supernova search experiment. The sensitivity decreases to 20 standard deviations at the galactic edge (30 kpc) and 6 standard deviations at the Large Magellanic Cloud (50 kpc). IceCube is sending triggers from potential supernovae to the Supernova Early Warning System. The sensitivity...

The ESR-signal of DPPH was recorded by detecting the modulation of the absorbed microwave power with a gas-coupled microphone. This photo-acousticdetection scheme is compared with conventional ESR-detection. Applications of the acousticaldetection method to other modulation spectroscopic techniques, particularly NMR, are discussed.

It remains to be determined experimentally if massive neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. In this connection, it has been recently suggested that the detection of cosmic neutrino background of left-handed neutrinos νL and right-handed antineutrinos ν‾R in future experiments of neutrino capture on beta-decaying nuclei (e.g., νe +3H →3He +e- for the PTOLEMY experiment) is likely to distinguish between Majorana and Dirac neutrinos, since the capture rate is twice larger in the former case. In this paper, we investigate the possible impact of right-handed neutrinos on the capture rate, assuming that massive neutrinos are Dirac particles and both right-handed neutrinos νR and left-handed antineutrinos ν‾L can be efficiently produced in the early Universe. It turns out that the capture rate can be enhanced at most by 28% due to the presence of relic νR and ν‾L with a total number density of 95 cm-3, which should be compared to the number density 336 cm-3 of cosmic neutrino background. The enhancement has actually been limited by the latest cosmological and astrophysical bounds on the effective number of neutrino generations Neff =3.14-0.43+0.44 at the 95% confidence level. For illustration, two possible scenarios have been proposed for thermal production of right-handed neutrinos in the early Universe.

The next generation of dark matter direct detection experiments will be sensitive to both coherent neutrino-nucleus and neutrino-electron scattering. This will enable them to explore aspects of solar physics, perform the lowest energy measurement of the weak angle to date, and probe contributions from new theories with light mediators. In this article, we compute the projected nuclear and electron recoil rates expected in several dark matter direct detection experiments due to solar neutrinos...

The feasibility of acoustic resonance for detection of plastic mines was investigated by researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s Instrumentation and Controls Division under an internally funded program. The data reported in this paper suggest that acoustic resonance is not a practical method for mine detection. Representative small plastic anti-personnel mines were tested, and were found to not exhibit detectableacoustic resonances. Also, non-metal objects known to have strong acoustic resonances were tested with a variety of excitation techniques, and no practical non-contact method of exciting a consistently detectable resonance in a buried object was discovered. Some of the experimental data developed in this work may be useful to other researchers seeking a method to detect buried plastic mines. A number of excitation methods and their pitfalls are discussed. Excitation methods that were investigated include swept acoustic, chopped acoustic, wavelet acoustic, and mechanical shaking. Under very contrived conditions, a weak response that could be attributed to acoustic resonance was observed, but it does not appear to be practical as a mine detection feature. Transfer properties of soil were investigated. Impulse responses of several representative plastic mines were investigated. Acoustic leakage coupling, and its implications as a disruptive mechanism were investigated.

The new concept of the spherical TPC aims at relatively large target masses with low threshold and background, keeping an extremely simple and robust operation. Such a device would open the way to detect the neutrino-nucleus interaction, which, although a standard process, remains undetected due to the low energy of the neutrino-induced nuclear recoils. The progress in the development of the first 1 m3 prototype at Saclay is presented. Other physics goals of such a device could include supernova detection, low energy neutrino oscillations and study of non-standard properties of the neutrino, among others

Ringwald, Andreas; Wong, Yvonne Y.Y.(School of Physics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia)

2004-01-01

We study the gravitational clustering of big bang relic neutrinos onto existing cold dark matter (CDM) and baryonic structures within the flat $\\Lambda$CDM model, using both numerical simulations and a semi-analytical linear technique, with the aim of understanding the neutrinos' clustering properties for direct detection purposes. In a comparative analysis, we find that the linear technique systematically underestimates the amount of clustering for a wide range of CDM halo and neutrino masse...

Neutrinos play a crucial role in the collapse and explosion of massive stars, governing the infall dynamics of the stellar core, triggering and fueling the explosion and driving the cooling and deleptonization of the newly formed neutron star. Due to their role neutrinos carry information from the heart of the explosion and, due to their weakly interacting nature, offer the only direct probe of the dynamics and thermodynamics at the center of a supernova. In this paper, we review the present status of modelling the neutrino physics and signal formation in collapsing and exploding stars. We assess the capability of current and planned large underground neutrino detectors to yield faithful information of the time and flavor dependent neutrino signal from a future Galactic supernova. We show how the observable neutrino burst would provide a benchmark for fundamental supernova physics with unprecedented richness of detail. Exploiting the treasure of the measured neutrino events requires a careful discrimination o...

A high-statistics measurement of the neutrinos from a galactic core-collapse supernova is extremely important for understanding the explosion mechanism, and studying the intrinsic properties of neutrinos themselves. In this paper, we explore the possibility to constrain the absolute scale of neutrino masses m{sub ν} via the detection of galactic supernova neutrinos at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) with a 20 kiloton liquid-scintillator detector. In assumption of a nearly-degenerate neutrino mass spectrum and a normal mass ordering, the upper bound on the absolute neutrino mass is found to be m{sub ν}neutrino fluxes are not exactly known, and when the neutrino mass ordering is inverted.

A high-statistics measurement of the neutrinos from a galactic core-collapse supernova is extremely important for understanding the explosion mechanism, and studying the intrinsic properties of neutrinos themselves. In this paper, we explore the possibility to constrain the absolute scale of neutrino masses mν via the detection of galactic supernova neutrinos at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) with a 20 kiloton liquid-scintillator detector. In assumption of a nearly-degenerate neutrino mass spectrum and a normal mass ordering, the upper bound on the absolute neutrino mass is found to be mνneutrino fluxes are not exactly known, and when the neutrino mass ordering is inverted

We propose to use the threshold-free process of neutrino capture on beta-decaying nuclei (NCB) using all available candidate nuclei in the Milky Way as target material in order to detect the presence of the Cosmic neutrino background. By integrating over the lifetime of the galaxy one might be able...... decays. Secondly, relic neutrinos have so low energy that their de Broglie wavelengths are macroscopic and they may therefore scatter coherently on the electronic cloud of the candidate atoms. One must therefore compare the cross sections for the two processes (induced beta-decay by neutrino capture, and...... coherent scattering of the neutrinos on atomic nuclei) before drawing any conclusions. Finally, the density of target nuclei in the galaxy must be calculated. We assume supernovae as the only production source and approximate the neutrino density as a homogenous background. Here we perform the full...

Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrino astronomy constitutes a new window of observation onto the UHE universe. The detection and characterization of astrophysical neutrinos at the highest energies (E> 1018 eV) would reveal the sources of high-energy cosmic rays, the highest energy particles ever seen, and would constrain the evolution of such sources over time. UHE neutrino astrophysics also allows us to probe weak interaction couplings at energies much greater than those available at particle colliders. One promising way of detecting the highest energy neutrinos is through the radio emission created when they interact in a large volume of dielectric, such as ice. Here I discuss current results and future efforts to instrument large volumes of detector material with radio antennas to detect, point back, and characterize the energy of UHE astrophysical neutrinos

The possibility to verify the pseudo-Dirac nature of neutrinos is investigated here via the detection of ultra-high energy neutrinos from distant cosmological objects like -ray bursts (GRBs). The very long baseline and the energy range from ∼TeV to ∼EeV for such neutrinos invoke the likelihood to probe very small pseudo-Dirac splittings. The expected secondary muons from such neutrinos that can be detected by a kilometer scale detector such as ICECUBE is calculated and compared with the same in the case of mass-flavour oscillations and for no oscillation cases. The calculated muon yields indicate that to probe such small pseudo-Dirac splittings one needs to look for a nearby GRB (red shift ∼ 0:03 or less) whereas for a distant GRB ( ∼ 1) the flux will be much depleted and such phenomenon cannot be distinguished. Also calculated are the muon-to-shower ratios.

Neutrinos play a crucial role in the collapse and explosion of massive stars, governing the infall dynamics of the stellar core, triggering and fueling the explosion and driving the cooling and deleptonization of the newly formed neutron star. Due to their role neutrinos carry information from the h

The ANTANARES telescope is composed of an array of 900 photomultipliers (12 lines) that will be immersed in the Mediterranean sea at a depth of 2500 m. The photomultipliers are sensitive to the Cherenkov light emitted by high energy muons produced in the interactions of neutrinos with matter. My work consisted in the calibration of the detector, in time and charge in order to extract the crucial data for the reconstruction of the particle tracks and the ability of the detector to distinguish the atmospheric neutrinos from astrophysical neutrinos. The first part of this work is dedicated to the today understanding of the universe and of its models and of the importance of the neutrinos as the messengers of what occurs in the remote parts of the universe. The detection of neutrinos through the Cerenkov effect is detailed and the ANTANARES detector is presented. The second part deals with the study of the background radiation due to atmospheric muons and neutrinos. A simulation is the only tool to assess the background radiation level and to be able to extract the signal due to solar neutrinos. The third part shows how the solar neutrino flux might be influenced by the interaction of dark matter with baryonic matter. A Monte-Carlo simulation has allowed us to quantify this interaction and measure its impact on the number of events detected by ANTANARES. (A.C.)

We study the potential of a very large volume underwater Mediterranean neutrino telescope to observe neutrinos from supernova (SN) explosions within our galaxy. The intense neutrino burst emitted in a SN explosion results in a large number of MeV neutrinos inside the instrumented volume of the neutrino telescope that can be detected (mainly) via the reaction \

Possible ways of detecting the cosmic neutrino background are described and their difficulties discussed. Among them, the capture on the radioactive tritium nuclei is challenging, but perhaps doable. The principal difficulty is the need for the combination of a very strong source and very good detector resolution. It is argued that if it turns out that the neutrino masses follow the degenerate scenario, i.e. if mν ≥ 0.1 eV for all three massive neutrinos, then it is important to devote a substantial effort to develop a realistic detection experiment

The next generation of dark matter direct detection experiments will be sensitive to both coherent neutrino-nucleus and neutrino-electron scattering. This will enable them to explore aspects of solar physics, perform the lowest energy measurement of the weak angle sin2θWto date, and probe contributions from new theories with light mediators. In this article, we compute the projected nuclear and electron recoil rates expected in several dark matter direct detection experiments due to solar neu...

We have carefully analysed the potential of future Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and Large Scale Structure (LSS) measurements to probe neutrino masses. We perform a Fisher matrix analysis on a 9-dimensional cosmological parameter space and find that data from the Planck CMB experiment combined with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) can measure a neutrino mass of 0.12 eV at 95% conf. This is almost at the level of the 0.06 eV mass suggested by current neutrino oscillation data. A future ...

Dark Matter (DM) may have a relic density that is in part determined by a particle/antiparticle asymmetry, much like baryons. If this is the case, it can accumulate in stars like the Sun to sizable number densities and annihilate to Standard Model (SM) particles including neutrinos. We show that the combination of neutrino telescope and direct detection data can be used in conjunction to determine or constrain the DM asymmetry from data. Depending on the DM mass, the current neutrino data fro...

This paper investigates the potential to detect tau neutrinos in the energy range of 1-1000 PeV searching for very inclined showers with imaging Cherenkov telescopes. A neutrino induced tau lepton escaping from the Earth may decay and initiate an air shower which can be detected by a fluorescence or Cherenkov telescope. We present here a study of the detection potential of Earth-skimming neutrinos taking into account neutrino interactions in the Earth crust, local matter distributions at various detector sites, the development of tau-induced showers in air and the detection of Cherenkov photons with IACTs. We analyzed simulated shower images on the camera focal plane and implemented generic reconstruction chains based on Hillas parameters. We find that present IACTs can distinguish air showers induced by tau neutrinos from the background of hadronic showers in the PeV-EeV energy range. We present the neutrino trigger efficiency obtained for a few configurations being considered for the next-generation Cherenk...

This paper investigates the potential to detect tau neutrinos in the energy range of 1-1000 PeV searching for very inclined showers with imaging Cherenkov telescopes. A neutrino induced tau lepton escaping from the Earth may decay and initiate an air shower which can be detected by a fluorescence or Cherenkov telescope. We present here a study of the detection potential of Earth-skimming neutrinos taking into account neutrino interactions in the Earth crust, local matter distributions at various detector sites, the development of tau-induced showers in air and the detection of Cherenkov photons with IACTs. We analysed simulated shower images on the camera focal plane and implemented generic reconstruction chains based on Hillas parameters. We find that present IACTs can distinguish air showers induced by tau neutrinos from the background of hadronic showers in the PeV-EeV energy range. We present the neutrino trigger efficiency obtained for a few configurations being considered for the next-generation Cherenk...

The JASON Committee at MITRE Corp. was tasked by DARPA to inquire into suitable technologies for humanitarian mine detection. Acoustic resonance was one of the very few technologies that the JASONs determined might be promising for the task, but was as yet unexplored at the time that they conducted their inquiry. The objective of this Seed Money investigation into acoustic resonance was to determine if it would be feasible to use acoustic resonance to provide an improvement to present methods for humanitarian mine detection. As detailed in this report, acoustic resonance methods do not appear to be feasible for this task. Although acoustic resonant responses are relatively easy to detect when they exist, they are very difficult to excite by the non-contact means that must be used for buried objects. Despite many different attempts, this research did not discover any practical means of using sound to excite resonant responses in objects known to have strong resonances. The shaker table experiments did see an effect that might be attributable to the resonance of the object under test, but the effect was weak, and exploited the a priori knowledge of the resonant frequency of the object under test to distinguish it from the background. If experiments that used objects known to have strong acoustic resonances produced such marginal results, this does not seem to be a practical method to detect objects with weak resonances or non-existent resonances. The results of this work contribute to the ORNL countermine initiative. ORNL is exploring several unconventional mine detection technologies, and is proposed to explore others. Since this research has discovered some major pitfalls in non-metallic mine detection, this experience will add realism to other strategies proposed for mine detection technologies. The experiment provided hands-on experience with inert plastic mines under field conditions, and gives ORNL additional insight into the problems of developing practical

In current cognitive psychology, naming latencies are commonly measured by electronic voice keys that detect when sound exceeds a certain amplitude threshold. However, recent research (e.g., K. Rastle & M. H. Davis, 2002) has shown that these devices are particularly inaccurate in precisely detectingacoustic onsets. In this article, the authors…

At a neutrino experiment performed at CERN both the first purely leptonic reaction νsub(μ)e- → νsub(μ)e- and the inclusive inelastic neutrino-nucleon reaction νsub(μ)N → νsub(μ) hadrons were detected for the first time. The present thesis contains more detailed analysis of the last hadronic reaction in the energy range of several GeV. (orig./HSI)

From the viewpoint of particle physics, the sun provides us with a high intensity (approx. 1011/cm2sec) source of neutrinos that have traveled over an interesting distance. We would be remiss not to exploit this opportunity to mount incomparable neutrino oscillation experiments. From the viewpoint of astrophysics, these neutrinos carry, in their flux and energy distribution, a precise record of the thermonuclear reactions that we believe occur in the sun's high-temperature core. They provide a unique, quantitative test of our theories of stellar evolution, and thus of one of the fundamental clocks that monitor the aging of our universe. This information cannot be obtained from conventional observations of the radiation emitted from cool stellar surfaces: solar photons have lost, in their 107 year journey outward from the core, all detailed memory of the mechanisms by which they were created. The thesis of this talk is the feasibility, by virtue of several very recent advances in nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, of a complete program of solar neutrino spectroscopy that will quantitatively test both the standard stellar model and the behavior of low-energy neutrinos over astrophysical distances

Neutrino-dominated accretion flows (NDAFs) around rotating stellar-mass black holes (BHs) have been theorized as the central engine of relativistic jets launched in massive star core collapse events or compact star mergers. In this work, we calculate the electron neutrino/anti-neutrino spectra of NDAFs by fully taking into account the general relativistic effects, and investigate the effects of viewing angle, BH spin, and mass accretion rate on the results. We show that even though a typical NDAF has a neutrino luminosity lower than that of a typical supernova, it can reach $10^{50}-10^{51}~{\\rm erg~s^{-1}}$ peaking at $\\sim 10$ MeV, making them potentially detectable with the upcoming sensitive MeV neutrino detectors if they are close enough to Earth. Based on the event rate of NDAFs in the local universe, we estimate a detection rate up to $\\sim$ 5 per century by the Hyper-Kamiokande detector. Detecting one such event would establish the observational evidence of NDAFs in the universe.

Researchers in academia have successfully demonstrated acoustic landmine detection techniques. These typically employ acoustic or seismic sources to induce vibration in the mine/soil system, and use vibration sensors such as laser vibrometers or geophones to measure the resultant surface motion. These techniques exploit the unique mechanical properties of landmines to discriminate the vibration response of a buried mine from an off-target measurement. The Army requires the ability to rapidly and reliably scan an area for landmines and is developing a mobile platform at NVESD to meet this requirement. The platform represents an initial step toward the implementation of acoustic mine detection technology on a representative field vehicle. The effort relies heavily on the acoustic mine detection cart system developed by researchers at the University of Mississippi and Planning Systems, Inc. The NVESD platform consists of a John Deere E-gator configured with a robotic control system to accurately position the vehicle. In its present design, the E-gator has been outfitted with an array of laser vibrometers and a bank of loudspeakers. Care has been taken to ensure that the vehicle"s mounting hardware and data acquisition algorithms are sufficiently robust to accommodate the implementation of other sensor modalities. A thorough discussion of the mobile platform from its inception to its present configuration will be provided. Specific topics to be addressed include the vehicle"s control and data acquisition systems. Preliminary results from acoustic mine detection experiments will also be presented.

The next generation of dark matter direct detection experiments will be sensitive to both coherent neutrino-nucleus and neutrino-electron scattering. This will enable them to explore aspects of solar physics, perform the lowest energy measurement of the weak angle to date, and probe contributions from new theories with light mediators. In this article, we compute the projected nuclear and electron recoil rates expected in several dark matter direct detection experiments due to solar neutrinos, and use these estimates to infer errors on future measurements of the neutrino fluxes, weak mixing angle and solar observables, as well as to constrain new physics in the neutrino sector. The combined rates of solar neutrino events in second generation experiments (SuperCDMS and LZ) can yield a measurement of the pp flux to 2.5% accuracy via electron recoil, and slightly improve the boron-8 flux determination. Assuming a low-mass argon phase, projected tonne-scale experiments like DARWIN can reduce the uncertainty on bo...

The detection of gravity modes produced in the solar radiative zone has been a challenge in modern astrophysics for more than 30 yr and their amplitude in the core is not yet determined. In this Letter, we develop a new strategy to look for standing gravity modes through solar neutrino fluxes. We note that due to a resonance effect, the gravity modes of low degree and low order have the largest impact on the 8 B neutrino flux. The strongest effect is expected to occur for the dipole mode with radial order 2, corresponding to periods of about 1.5 hr. These standing gravity waves produce temperature fluctuations that are amplified by a factor of 170 in the boron neutrino flux for the corresponding period, in consonance with the gravity modes. From current neutrino observations, we determine that the maximum temperature variation due to the gravity modes in the Sun's core is smaller than 5.8 × 10–4. This study clearly shows that due to their high sensitivity to the temperature, the 8 B neutrino flux time series is an excellent tool to determine the properties of gravity modes in the solar core. Moreover, if gravity mode footprints are discovered in the 8 B neutrino flux, this opens a new line of research to probe the physics of the solar core as non-standing gravity waves of higher periods cannot be directly detected by helioseismology but could leave their signature on boron neutrino or on other neutrino fluxes

A 90 tons Liquid Scintillation Detector (LSD) is fully running since October 1984 in the Mont Blanc Laboratory, at a depth of 5200 hg/cm2 under ground. The detection of cosmic neutrinos of different origin is the main goal of this experiment. The detector is very well shielded against the local radioactivity and is extremely sensitive to detect low energy particles with a threshold of 5 MeV. We discuss here the status of the experiment and present data on: 1) An experimental limit on the rate of neutrino bursts from galactic stellar collapses, 2) The possibility to detect solar neutrinos either from the 8B decay or correlated with large solar flares, and 3) An experimental limit on the flux of anti νe in the energy range 5 to 60 MeV. (orig.)

This document represents the response of the Intensity Frontier Neutrino Working Group to the Snowmass charge. We summarize the current status of neutrino physics and identify many exciting future opportunities for studying the properties of neutrinos and for addressing important physics and astrophysics questions with neutrinos.

Supernova (SN) neutrinos can excite the nuclei of various detector materials beyond their neutron emission thresholds through charged current (CC) and neutral current (NC) interactions. The emitted neutrons, if detected, can be a signal for the supernova event. Here we present the results of our study of SN neutrinodetection through the neutron channel in lead ($^{208} {\\rm Pb}$) and iron ($^{56} {\\rm Fe}$) detectors for realistic neutrino fluxes and energies given by the recent Basel/Darmstadt simulations for a 18 solar mass progenitor SN at a distance of 10 kpc. We find that, in general, the number of neutrons emitted per kTon of detector material for the neutrino luminosities and average energies of the different neutrino species as given by the Basel/Darmstadt simulations are significantly lower than those estimated in previous studies based on the results of earlier SN simulations. At the same time, we highlight the fact that, although the total number of neutrons produced per kTon in a iron detector is...

Three distinct physical effects are discussed, each of which is used for a particular method of detecting and locating minor leaks. The principle, considered phenomena and equipment requirements for each method are discussed, together with results of laboratory tests with calibrated leakage orifices varying between 20 μm and 180 μm in diameter. Two of the methods are being tested in industry and one is still at the laboratory development stage

The detection of cosmic neutrinos with energies above 1017 eV got growing interest during recent years. Possible target materials for in-matter arrays of ~100 km3 size under discussion are water, ice and rock salt. Here we propose to investigate permafrost as an additional alternative, covering ~20% of Earth land surface and reaching down to more than 1000 m depth at certain locations. If sufficiently large attenuation lengths for radio and acoustic signals can be demonstrated by in-situ measurements, the construction of a large hybrid array within this material may be possible in the Northern hemisphere. Properties and problems of a possible location in Siberia are discussed below. Some acoustic data are compared to laboratory measurements using "artificial" permafrost.

Dark Matter (DM) may have a relic density that is in part determined by a particle/antiparticle asymmetry, much like baryons. If this is the case, it can accumulate in stars like the Sun to sizable number densities and annihilate to Standard Model (SM) particles including neutrinos. We show that the combination of neutrino telescope and direct detection data can be used in conjunction to determine or constrain the DM asymmetry from data. Depending on the DM mass, the current neutrino data from Super-K and IceCube give powerful constraints on asymmetric DM unless its fractional asymmetry is $\\lesssim 10^{-2}$. Future neutrino telescopes and detectors like Hyper-K and KM3NeT can search for the resulting signal of high-energy neutrinos from the center of the Sun. The observation of such a flux yields information on both the DM-nucleus cross section but also on the relative abundances of DM and anti-DM.

We propose to use the threshold-free process of neutrino capture on beta-decaying nuclei (NCB) using all available candidate nuclei in the Milky Way as target material in order to detect the presence of the Cosmic neutrino background. By integrating over the lifetime of the galaxy one might be able to see the effect of NCB processes as a slightly eschewed abundance ratio of selected beta-decaying nuclei. First, the candidates must be chosen so that both the mother and daughter nuclei have a lifetime comparable to that of the Milky Way or the signal could be easily washed out by additional decays. Secondly, relic neutrinos have so low energy that their de Broglie wavelengths are macroscopic and they may therefore scatter coherently on the electronic cloud of the candidate atoms. One must therefore compare the cross sections for the two processes (induced beta-decay by neutrino capture, and coherent scattering of the neutrinos on atomic nuclei) before drawing any conclusions. Finally, the density of target nucl...

According to the Standard Solar Model (SSM) the radiative energy of our Sun is produced by a series of nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen into helium. In 99% of cases these processes are supposed to start with a fusion of two protons and the emission of a positron and a low-energy neutrino. These so-called pp neutrinos vastly outnumber those emitted in other sub-reactions, but only the large volume organic liquid scintillator detector Borexino has recently succeeded to perform a spectroscopic and direct measurement of them. The present talk reviews the procedure adopted by the Borexino collaboration to detect pp neutrinos. The key requirements, i.e. unprecedented radiopurity levels at low energies and a precise spectral description of the main background arising from 14C decays, and their fulfillment are discussed. The measured pp neutrino flux is then compared with the predictions of the SSM including neutrino oscillation mechanisms, and with the solar luminosity constraint deduced from photospheric observations.

According to the Standard Solar Model (SSM) the radiative energy of our Sun is produced by a series of nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen into helium. In 99% of cases these processes are supposed to start with a fusion of two protons and the emission of a positron and a low-energy neutrino. These so-called pp neutrinos vastly outnumber those emitted in other sub-reactions, but only the large volume organic liquid scintillator detector Borexino has recently succeeded to perform a spectroscopic and direct measurement of them. The present talk reviews the procedure adopted by the Borexino collaboration to detect pp neutrinos. The key requirements, i.e. unprecedented radiopurity levels at low energies and a precise spectral description of the main background arising from 14C decays, and their fulfillment are discussed. The measured pp neutrino flux is then compared with the predictions of the SSM including neutrino oscillation mechanisms, and with the solar luminosity constraint deduced from photospheric observations.

We present the first results of a set-up called TIANSHAN radio experiment for neutrinodetection (TREND) being presently deployed on the site of the 21 cm array (21CMA) radio telescope, in XinJiang, China. We describe here its detection performances as well as the analysis method we applied to the data recorded with a small scale prototype. We demonstrate the ability of the TREND set-up for an autonomous radio-detection of extended air showers induced by cosmic rays. The full set-up will consist of 80 antennas deployed over a 4 km2 area, and could result in a very attractive and unequalled radio-detection facility for the characterization of showers induced by ultra-high energy neutrinos with energies around 1017 eV.

115In provides an extremely interesting target for real time solar neutrinodetection [1]. Its use was proposed by Raghavan [2], based on the reaction: ν(E>128keV) + 115In→115Sn** + e-(Eν-128keV) where the 115Sn** decays to the ground state of 115Sn with a lifetime of 3.3 μS emitting two γ rays (497 keV and 116 keV)[3]. The delayed coincidence should provide a specific signature of solar neutrino events, sharp enough to overcome background problems related to 115In β radioactivity. Real time detection of solar neutrinos with 115In has been proposed by several techniques [4]. We discuss here the possibility of performing such an experiment, focusing on superconducting granules and special scintillators. The concept of 'localized micro-avalanche' should introduce crucial improvements in superheated superconducting granules (SSG) devices and, eventually, make feasible a 4 ton In solar neutrino experiment. The possible use of dedicated scintillating crystals of In compounds is also dealt with, as feasibility studies are under way

Metamaterials have demonstrated the possibility to produce super-resolved images by restoring propagative and evanescent waves. However, for efficient information transfer, for example, in compressed sensing, it is often desirable to visualize only the fast spatial variations of the wave field (carried by evanescent waves), as the one created by edges or small details. Image processing edge detection algorithms perform such operation, but they add time and complexity to the imaging process. Here we present an acoustic metamaterial that transmits only components of the acoustic field that are approximately equal to or smaller than the operating wavelength. The metamaterial converts evanescent waves into propagative waves exciting trapped resonances, and it uses periodicity to attenuate the propagative components. This approach achieves resolutions ~5 times smaller than the operating wavelength and makes it possible to visualize independently edges aligned along different directions.

This dissertation focuses on two vital challenges in relation to whale acoustic signals: detection and classification. In detection, we evaluated the influence of the uncertain ocean environment on the spectrogram-based detector, and derived the likelihood ratio of the proposed Short Time Fourier Transform detector. Experimental results showed that the proposed detector outperforms detectors based on the spectrogram. The proposed detector is more sensitive to environmental changes because it includes phase information. In classification, our focus is on finding a robust and sparse representation of whale vocalizations. Because whale vocalizations can be modeled as polynomial phase signals, we can represent the whale calls by their polynomial phase coefficients. In this dissertation, we used the Weyl transform to capture chirp rate information, and used a two dimensional feature set to represent whale vocalizations globally. Experimental results showed that our Weyl feature set outperforms chirplet coefficients and MFCC (Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients) when applied to our collected data. Since whale vocalizations can be represented by polynomial phase coefficients, it is plausible that the signals lie on a manifold parameterized by these coefficients. We also studied the intrinsic structure of high dimensional whale data by exploiting its geometry. Experimental results showed that nonlinear mappings such as Laplacian Eigenmap and ISOMAP outperform linear mappings such as PCA and MDS, suggesting that the whale acoustic data is nonlinear. We also explored deep learning algorithms on whale acoustic data. We built each layer as convolutions with either a PCA filter bank (PCANet) or a DCT filter bank (DCTNet). With the DCT filter bank, each layer has different a time-frequency scale representation, and from this, one can extract different physical information. Experimental results showed that our PCANet and DCTNet achieve high classification rate on the whale

The West Indian manatee (trichechus manatus latirostris) has become endangered partly because of a growing number of collisions with boats. A system to warn boaters of the presence of manatees, that can signal to boaters that manatees are present in the immediate vicinity, could potentially reduce these boat collisions. In order to identify the presence of manatees, acoustic methods are employed. Within this paper, three different detection algorithms are used to detect the calls of the West Indian manatee. The detection systems are tested in the laboratory using simulated manatee vocalizations from an audio compact disc. The detection method that provides the best overall performance is able to correctly identify ~=96% of the manatee vocalizations. However the system also results in a false positive rate of ~=16%. The results of this work may ultimately lead to the development of a manatee warning system that can warn boaters of the presence of manatees.

We discuss the radar detection technique as a probe for high-energy cosmic neutrino induced particle cascades in a dense medium like ice. With the recent detection of high-energy cosmic neutrinos by the IceCube neutrino observatory the window to neutrino astronomy has been opened. We discuss a new technique to detect cosmic neutrinos at even higher energies than those covered by IceCube, but with an energy threshold below the currently operating Askaryan radio detectors. A calculation for the radar return power, as well as first experimental results will be presented.

Full Text Available The first stage of the GVD-cluster composed of five strings was deployed in April 2014. Each string consists of two sections with 12 optical modules per section. A section is the basic detection unit of the Baikal neutrino telescope. We will describe the section design, review its basic elements – optical modules, FADC readout units, slow control and calibration systems, and present selected results for section in-situ tests in Lake Baikal.

A conceptual scheme of a hybrid-emulsion spectrometer for investigating various channels of neutrino oscillations is proposed. The design emphasizes detection of τ leptons by detached vertices, reliable identification of electrons, and good spectrometry for all charged particles and photons. A distributed target is formed by layers of low-Z material, emulsion-plastic-emulsion sheets, and air gaps in which τ decays are detected. The tracks of charged secondaries, including electrons, are momentum-analyzed by curvature in magnetic field using hits in successive thin layers of emulsion. The τ leptons are efficiently detected in all major decay channels, including τ-→e-νν-bar. The performance of a model spectrometer, that contains 3 t of nuclear emulsion and 20 t of passive material, is estimated for different experimental environments. When irradiated by the νμ beam of a proton accelerator over a medium baseline of ν>∼1 km/GeV, the spectrometer will efficiently detect either the νμ→ντ or the νμ→νe transitions in the mass-difference region of Δm2∼1 eV2, as suggested by the results of LSND. When exposed to the neutrino beam of a muon storage ring over a long baseline of ν>∼10-20 km/GeV, the model detector will efficiently probe the entire pattern of neutrino oscillations in the region Δm2∼10-2-10-3 eV2, as suggested by the data on atmospheric neutrinos

In the delayed explosion scenario of core-collapse supernovae (SNe), the accretion phase shows pronounced convective overturns and a low-multipole hydrodynamic instability, the standing accretion shock instability (SASI). These effects imprint detectable fast time variations on the emerging neutrino flux. Among existing detectors, IceCube is best suited to this task, providing an event rate of ~1000 events per ms during the accretion phase for a fiducial SN distance of 10 kpc, comparable to w...

A conceptual scheme of a hybrid-emulsion spectrometer for investigating various channels of neutrino oscillations is proposed. The design emphasizes detection of τ leptons by detached vertices, reliable identification of electrons, and good spectrometry for all charged particles and photons. A distributed target is formed by layers of low- Z material, emulsion-plastic-emulsion sheets, and air gaps in which τ decays are detected. The tracks of charged secondaries, including electrons, are momentum-analyzed by curvature in magnetic field using hits in successive thin layers of emulsion. The τ leptons are efficiently detected in all major decay channels, including τ-→ e-νν¯. The performance of a model spectrometer, that contains 3 t of nuclear emulsion and 20 t of passive material, is estimated for different experimental environments. When irradiated by the ν μ beam of a proton accelerator over a medium baseline of ˜1 km/ GeV, the spectrometer will efficiently detect either the ν μ→ν τ or the ν μ→ν e transitions in the mass-difference region of Δm 2˜1 eV2, as suggested by the results of LSND. When exposed to the neutrino beam of a muon storage ring over a long baseline of ˜10- 20 km/ GeV, the model detector will efficiently probe the entire pattern of neutrino oscillations in the region Δ m2˜10 -2- 10 -3 eV2, as suggested by the data on atmospheric neutrinos.

We study the physics potential of the detection of the Cosmic Neutrino Background via neutrino capture on tritium, taking the proposed PTOLEMY experiment as a case study. With the projected energy resolution of $\\Delta \\sim$ 0.15 eV, the experiment will be sensitive to neutrino masses with degenerate spectrum, $m_1 \\simeq m_2 \\simeq m_3 = m_\

In this study we investigate the discovery capability of a Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope to Galactic extended sources. We focus on the brightest HESS gamma rays sources which are considered also as very high energy neutrino emitters. We use the unbinned method taking into account both the spatial and the energy distribution of high energy neutrinos and we investigate parts of the Galactic plane where nearby potential neutrino emitters form neutrino source clusters. Neutrino source clusters as well as isolated neutrino sources are combined to estimate the observation period for 5 sigma discovery of neutrino signals from these objects

Many obstacles are faced in removing the buried landmines such as the loss or absence of maps or information about these mines and the high financial costs needed to remove these mines. So that many techniques were designed and developed for demining (detecting and clearing) these buried mines. Each technique has some strengths and drawbacks. This thesis presents a survey on the landmine detection techniques, the strengths and limitations of these techniques are highlighted and compared to show the ideal conditions and the challenges facing each technique. Furthermore, a comparison between these techniques from the points of view of cost, complexity, speed, safety, false alarms in detection and the effect of the environmental conditions is presented. one of the reliable and powerful landmine detection techniques is the Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV)-based Acoustic to Seismic (A/S) landmine detection system. The interpretation of the LDV-based A/S data is performed off-line manually, depending heavily on the skills, experience, alertness and consistency of a trained operator. This requires a significantly long time. Results typically suffer from inconsistency and errors, particularly when dealing with large volumes of data. This thesis proposes several image processing techniques to automate the process of landmine detection from the data scanned by the LDV-based A/S system. The obtained results are so far promising in terms of accuracy, consistency, reliability and processing speed. The previously proposed techniques for landmine detection give high false alarm rates. This thesis proposes some techniques to improve the performance of the automatic object detection techniques. These techniques are based on segmentation, masking, morphology image processing and the wavelet transform. These techniques have achieved a high detection rate.

In this dissertation, several different topics related to the chorus experiment are pre- sented. The chorus experiment has been used to study neutrino oscillations using the neutrino beam at cern. The neutrino oscillation hypothesis provided an explanation for the lower than expected fluxes of solar and atmospheric neutrinos. There are three neutrino species in nature corresponding to different weak eigenstates, namely, the elec- tron neutrino (νe ), the muon neutrino (νμ ), and the tau neutrino (ντ ). The lower fluxes could be interpreted as spontaneous oscillations between electron and muon neutrinos and between muon and tau neutrinos. The chorus experiment was designed to detect oscillation of muon neutrinos into tau neutrinos with small mixing probability down to 2 · 10−4 and a mass difference square between νμ and ντ larger than 0.5 eV2 . In the last decade, several disappearance experiments have confirmed the neutrino oscillation hypothesis and showed that oscillations occur between mass eig...

The IceCube neutrino detector is a cubic kilometer TeV to PeV neutrino detector under construction at the geographic South Pole. The dominant population of neutrinosdetected in IceCube is due to meson decay in cosmic-ray air showers. These atmospheric neutrinos are relatively well-understood and serve as a calibration and verification tool for the new detector. In 2006, the detector was approximately 10% completed, and we report on data acquired from the detector in this configuration. We observe an atmospheric neutrino signal consistent with expectations, demonstrating that the IceCube detector is capable of identifying neutrino events. In the first 137.4 days of livetime, 234 neutrino candidates were selected with an expectation of 211 +/- 76.1(syst.) +/- 14.5(stat.) events from atmospheric neutrinos.

The IceCube neutrino detector is a cubic kilometer TeV to PeV neutrino detector under construction at the geographic South Pole. The dominant population of neutrinosdetected in IceCube is due to meson decay in cosmic-ray air showers. These atmospheric neutrinos are relatively well understood and serve as a calibration and verification tool for the new detector. In 2006, the detector was approximately 10% completed, and we report on data acquired from the detector in this configuration. We observe an atmospheric neutrino signal consistent with expectations, demonstrating that the IceCube detector is capable of identifying neutrino events. In the first 137.4 days of live time, 234 neutrino candidates were selected with an expectation of 211±76.1(syst)±14.5(stat) events from atmospheric neutrinos.

Largest Solar Neutrino Flare may be soon detectable by Deep Core neutrino detector immediately and comunicate to satellites or astronauts. Its detection is the fastest manifestation of a later (tens minutes,hours) dangerous cosmic shower. The precursor trigger maybe saving satellites and even long flight astronauts lives. We shall suggest how. Moreover their detection may probe the inner solar flare acceleration place as well as the neutrino flavor mixing in a new different parameter windows....

Lecture notes on neutrino oscillations are given, including some background about neutrino mixing and masses, descriptions of flavour oscillations and experimental attempts to detect them, matter effects and neutrino-antineutrino oscillations. (U.K.)

The theme of this thesis is included in the Antares international project whose object is to build a neutrino telescope located in a deep water environment in the Mediterranean sea. In deep water sea, a neutrino can interact with a water molecule. The collision generates a luminous flash and an acoustic wave. The goal of this work is to study this acoustic sound wave and develop a system able to detect the corresponding wave front and to estimate the initial direction of the particle. We first focus on the acoustic sound wave. Two different models are studied, and works made recently have led to a mathematical expression of both signal and wave front. Then, several detection methods are studied, from the most classical to the more recent ones. The experimental comparison in semi-real situation leads to the choice of a detection method: the Extended stochastic matched filter. Position and direction of the neutrino are now estimated with a Gauss-Newton inspired algorithm. This estimator is based on a wave front propagation model and on the time detection information given by the telescope hydro-phones. Performances of the system are then estimated. An antenna structure is then proposed and a global simulation finalizes this thesis. In this simulation, detection and estimation are based on the results found in the previous sections. Underwater sea noise is real and the results of the simulation valid our works. (author)

In this paper, we present the acoustic transceiver developed for the positioning system in underwater neutrino telescopes. These infrastructures are not completely rigid and need a positioning system in order to monitor the position of the optical sensors of the telescope which have some degree of motion due to sea currents. To have a highly reliable and versatile system in the infrastructure, the transceiver has the requirements of reduced cost, low power consumption, high intensity for emission, low intrinsic noise, arbitrary signals for emission and the capacity of acquiring and processing the received signal on the board. The solution proposed and presented here consists of an acoustic transducer that works in the 20-40 kHz region and withstands high pressures (up to 500 bars). The electronic-board can be configured from shore and is able to feed the transducer with arbitrary signals and to control the transmitted and received signals with very good timing precision. The results of the different tests don...

The detection of galactic supernova (SN) neutrinos represents one of the future frontiers of low-energy neutrino physics and astrophysics. The neutron coherence of neutral currents (NC) allows quite large cross sections in the case of neutron rich targets, which can be exploited in detecting earth and sky neutrinos by measuring nuclear recoils. They are relatively cheap and easy to maintain. The relevant NC cross sections are not dependent on flavor conversions and, thus, their measurement will provide useful information about the neutrino source. In particular they will yield information about the primary neutrino fluxes and perhaps about the spectrum after flavor conversions in neutrino sphere.They might also provide some clues about the neutrino mass hierarchy. The advantages of large gaseous low threshold and high resolution detectors with time projection counters (TPC) are discussed.

The study and application of signal detection techniques based on cross-correlation method for acoustic transient signals in noisy and reverberant environments are presented. These techniques are shown to provide high signal to noise ratio, good signal discernment from very close echoes and accurate detection of signal arrival time. The proposed methodology has been tested on real data collected in environments and conditions where its benefits can be shown. This work focuses on the acousticdetection applied to tasks of positioning in underwater structures and calibration such those as ANTARES and KM3NeT deep-sea neutrino telescopes, as well as, in particle detection through acoustic events for the COUPP/PICO detectors. Moreover, a method for obtaining the real amplitude of the signal in time (voltage) by using cross correlation has been developed and tested and is described in this work.

We determine constraints on sterile neutrino warm dark matter through direct detection experiments, taking XENON100 and its future stages as example. If keV-scale sterile neutrinos scatter inelastically with bound electrons of the target material, an electron recoil signal is generated. This can be used to set limits on the sterile neutrino mass and its mixing with the active sector. While not competitive with astrophysical constraints from X-ray data, the constraints are the first direct laboratory bounds on sterile neutrino warm dark matter, and will be in some parts of parameter space the strongest limits on keV-scale neutrinos.

Neutrino production and oscillation physics can be studied by utilizing the very high flux of atmospheric neutrinos observed with IceCube. In a Cherenkov medium such as ice, atmospheric muon neutrino interactions create tracks while cascades (showers) are produced by atmospheric electron neutrinos and by neutral current interactions of all flavors. We present the first detection of atmospheric neutrino-induced cascades at energies between 30 GeV and 10 TeV using the DeepCore array of the IceCube detector. Using 281 days of data, 1029 events are observed with 59% predicted to be cascades.

A high-statistics measurement of the neutrinos from a galactic core-collapse supernova is extremely important for understanding the explosion mechanism, and studying the intrinsic properties of neutrinos themselves. In this paper, we explore the possibility to constrain the absolute scale of neutrino masses $m_\

A high-statistics measurement of the neutrinos from a galactic core-collapse supernova is extremely important for understanding the explosion mechanism, and studying the intrinsic properties of neutrinos themselves. In this paper, we explore the possibility to constrain the absolute scale of neutrino masses $m^{}_\

It was recently proposed to use scintillating crystals incorporating a large amount of 115In for the detection of low-energy solar neutrinos through Raghavan's reaction. We report here on recent progress in feasibility studies, i.e. crystal growth of transparent undoped and doped single crystals of indium compounds. We also discuss some aspects related to the luminescence of scintillators at low temperature, in connection with the proposal to develop a luminescent bolometer for particle identification through the heat/light ratio

J.M. Herndon in 90-s proposed a natural nuclear fission georeactor at the center of the Earth with a power output of 3-10 TW as an energy source to sustain the Earth magnetic field. R.S. Raghavan in 2002 y. pointed out that under certain condition antineutrinos generated in georeactor can be detected using massive scintillation detectors. We consider the underground Baksan Neutrino Observatory (4800 m.w.e.) as a possible site for developments in Geoneutrino physics. Here the intrinsic backgro...

Calibration of acousticneutrino telescopes with neutrino-like signals is an essential aspect to evaluate the feasibility of the technique and to know the efficiency of the detectors. However, it is not straightforward to have acoustic transmitters that, on one hand, are able to mimic the signature of a UHE neutrino interaction, that is, a bipolar acoustic pulse with the 'pancake' directivity, and, on the other hand, fulfill practical issues such as ease of deployment and operation. This is a non-trivial problem since it requires directive transducer with cylindrical symmetry for a broadband frequency range. Classical solutions using linear arrays of acoustic transducers result in long arrays with many elements, which increase the cost and the complexity for deployment and operation. In this paper we present the extension of our previous R&D studies using the parametric acoustic source technique by dealing with the cylindrical symmetry, and demonstrating that it is possible to use this technique for havin...

I recall the place of neutrinos in the electroweak theory and summarize what we know about neutrino mass and flavor change. I next review the essential characteristics expected for relic neutrinos and survey what we can say about the neutrino contribution to the dark matter of the Universe. Then I discuss the standard-model interactions of ultrahigh-energy neutrinos, paying attention to the consequences of neutrino oscillations, and illustrate a few topics of interest to neutrino observatories. I conclude with short comments on the remote possibility of detecting relic neutrinos through annihilations of ultrahigh-energy neutrinos at the Z resonance.

Largest Solar Neutrino Flare may be soon detectable by Deep Core neutrino detector immediately and comunicate to satellites or astronauts. Its detection is the fastest manifestation of a later (tens minutes,hours) dangerous cosmic shower. The precursor trigger maybe saving satellites and even long flight astronauts lives. We shall suggest how. Moreover their detection may probe the inner solar flare acceleration place as well as the neutrino flavor mixing in a new different parameter windows. We show the updated expected rate and signature of neutrinos and antineutrinos in largest solar flare for present tens Megaton Deep Core telescope at tens Gev range. Speculation for additional Icecube gigaton array signals are also considered.

The recent global fit of short baseline neutrino oscillation data favors the presence of one (or more) sterile neutrino state which leads to new mass splitting Δm2 ∼ 1 eV2. We consider the effect of this new states on the evolution of neutrinos from the dark matter annihilation inside the Sun. We show that neutrinos with energy Eν∼>100 GeV undergo resonant active-sterile oscillation which depletes the flux of neutrinos arriving at the Earth. As an example of this effect, we present the oscillation probabilities for the case of monochromatic neutrinos from the direct annihilation of dark matter particles to neutrinos and the depletion due to the presence of sterile neutrinos. We discuss the seasonal variation of oscillation probabilities which is expected for the case of monochromatic neutrinos

In this paper, we discuss a possibility of studying properties of dark energy in long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. We consider two types of models of neutrino dark energy. For one type of models the scalar field is taken to be quintessence-like and for the other phantom-like. In these models the scalar fields couple to the neutrinos to give rise to spatially varying neutrino masses. We will show that the two types of models predict different behaviors of the spatial variation of the neutrino masses inside the Earth and consequently result in different signals in long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.

We study the potential of a very large volume underwater Mediterranean neutrino telescope to observe neutrinos from supernova (SN) explosions within our galaxy. The intense neutrino burst emitted in a SN explosion results in a large number of MeV neutrinos inside the instrumented volume of the neutrino telescope that can be detected (mainly) via the reaction ν{sup ¯}{sub e}+p⟶e{sup +}+n. In this study we simulated the response of the underwater neutrino telescope to the electron antineutrino flux predicted by the Garching model for SN explosions. We assumed that the neutrino telescope comprises 6160 direction sensitive optical modules, each containing 31 small photomultiplier tubes. Multiple coincidences between the photomultiplier tubes of the same optical module are utilized to suppress the noise produced by {sup 40}K radioactive decays and to establish a statistical significant signature of the SN explosion.

We study the potential of a very large volume underwater Mediterranean neutrino telescope to observe neutrinos from supernova (SN) explosions within our galaxy. The intense neutrino burst emitted in a SN explosion results in a large number of MeV neutrinos inside the instrumented volume of the neutrino telescope that can be detected (mainly) via the reaction ν¯e+p⟶e++n. In this study we simulated the response of the underwater neutrino telescope to the electron antineutrino flux predicted by the Garching model for SN explosions. We assumed that the neutrino telescope comprises 6160 direction sensitive optical modules, each containing 31 small photomultiplier tubes. Multiple coincidences between the photomultiplier tubes of the same optical module are utilized to suppress the noise produced by 40K radioactive decays and to establish a statistical significant signature of the SN explosion

The fundamental properties of neutrinos are reviewed in these lectures. The first part is focused on the basic characteristics of neutrinos in the Standard Model and how neutrinos are detected. Neutrino masses and oscillations are introduced and a summary of the most important experimental results on neutrino oscillations to date is provided. Then, present and future experimental proposals are discussed, including new precision reactor and accelerator experiments. Finally, different approaches for measuring the neutrino mass and the nature (Majorana or Dirac), of neutrinos are reviewed. The detection of neutrinos from supernovae explosions and the information that this measurement can provide are also summarized at the end. (author)

The fundamental properties of neutrinos are reviewed in these lectures. The first part is focused on the basic characteristics of neutrinos in the Standard Model and how neutrinos are detected. Neutrino masses and oscillations are introduced and a summary of the most important experimental results on neutrino oscillations to date is provided. Then, present and future experimental proposals are discussed, including new precision reactor and accelerator experiments. Finally, different approaches for measuring the neutrino mass and the nature (Majorana or Dirac) of neutrinos are reviewed. The detection of neutrinos from supernovae explosions and the information that this measurement can provide are also summarized at the end.

We explore the electron neutrino signals from light dark matter (DM) annihilation in the Sun for the large liquid scintillator detector JUNO. In terms of the spectrum features of three typical DM annihilation channels χχ → νbar nu, τ+τ-, bbar b, we take two sets of selection conditions to calculate the expected signals and atmospheric neutrino backgrounds based on the Monte Carlo simulation data. Then the JUNO sensitivities to the spin independent DM-nucleon and spin dependent DM-proton cross sections are presented. It is found that the JUNO projected sensitivities are much better than the current spin dependent direct detection experimental limits for the νbar nu and τ+τ- channels. In the spin independent case, the JUNO will give the better sensitivity to the DM-nucleon cross section than the LUX and CDMSlite limits for the νbar nu channel with the DM mass lighter than 6.5 GeV . If the νbar nu or τ+τ- channel is dominant, the future JUNO results are very helpful for us to understand the tension between the DAMA annual modulation signal and other direct detection exclusions.

We explore the electron neutrino signals from light dark matter (DM) annihilation in the Sun for the large liquid scintillator detector JUNO. In terms of the spectrum features of three typical DM annihilation channels χχ→νν-bar,τ+τ−,bb-bar, we take two sets of selection conditions to calculate the expected signals and atmospheric neutrino backgrounds based on the Monte Carlo simulation data. Then the JUNO sensitivities to the spin independent DM-nucleon and spin dependent DM-proton cross sections are presented. It is found that the JUNO projected sensitivities are much better than the current spin dependent direct detection experimental limits for the νν-bar and τ+τ− channels. In the spin independent case, the JUNO will give the better sensitivity to the DM-nucleon cross section than the LUX and CDMSlite limits for the νν-bar channel with the DM mass lighter than 6.5 GeV. If the νν-bar or τ+τ− channel is dominant, the future JUNO results are very helpful for us to understand the tension between the DAMA annual modulation signal and other direct detection exclusions

We explore the electron neutrino signals from light dark matter (DM) annihilation in the Sun for the large liquid scintillator detector JUNO. In terms of the spectrum features of three typical DM annihilation channels χχ→νν-bar,τ{sup +}τ{sup −},bb-bar, we take two sets of selection conditions to calculate the expected signals and atmospheric neutrino backgrounds based on the Monte Carlo simulation data. Then the JUNO sensitivities to the spin independent DM-nucleon and spin dependent DM-proton cross sections are presented. It is found that the JUNO projected sensitivities are much better than the current spin dependent direct detection experimental limits for the νν-bar and τ{sup +}τ{sup −} channels. In the spin independent case, the JUNO will give the better sensitivity to the DM-nucleon cross section than the LUX and CDMSlite limits for the νν-bar channel with the DM mass lighter than 6.5 GeV. If the νν-bar or τ{sup +}τ{sup −} channel is dominant, the future JUNO results are very helpful for us to understand the tension between the DAMA annual modulation signal and other direct detection exclusions.

Methods of the rejection of atmospheric muon background for cosmic ray neutrinodetection in a ground level Cherenkov water detector are described. The background rejection factor on the level 1010 is reached, and thereby a possibility to detectneutrino-induced muons on the Earth surface is shown

Future detection of a supernova neutrino burst by large underground detectors would give important information for the explosion mechanism of collapse-driven supernovae. We studied the statistical analysis for the future detection of a nearby supernova by using a numerical supernova model and realistic Monte Carlo simulations of detection by the Super-Kamiokande detector. We mainly discuss the detectability of the signatures of the delayed explosion mechanism in the time evolution of the νe luminosity and spectrum. For a supernova at 10 kpc away from the Earth, we find not only that the signature is clearly discernible but also that the deviation of the energy spectrum from the Fermi-Dirac (FD) distribution can be observed. The deviation from the FD distribution would, if observed, provide a test for the standard picture of neutrino emission from collapse-driven supernovae. For the D=50 kpc case, the signature of the delayed explosion is still observable, but statistical fluctuation is too large to detect the deviation from the FD distribution. We also propose a method for statistical reconstruction of the time evolution of νe luminosity and spectrum from data, by which we can get a smoother time evolution and smaller statistical errors than by a simple, time-binning analysis. This method is useful especially when the available number of events is relatively small, e.g., a supernova in the LMC or SMC. A neutronization burst of νe's produces about five scattering events when D=10 kpc, and this signal is difficult to distinguish from νep events. copyright copyright 1998. The American Astronomical Society

Borexino is a large-volume organic liquid scintillator detector of unprecedented high radiopurity which has been designed for low-energy neutrino spectroscopy in real time. Besides the main objective of the experiment, the measurement of the solar 7Be neutrino flux, Borexino also aims at detecting solar neutrinos from the pep fusion process and from the CNO cycle. The detectability of these neutrinos is strictly connected to a successful rejection of all relevant background components. The identification and reduction of these background signals is the central subject of this dissertation. In the first part, contaminants induced by cosmic-ray muons and muon showers were analyzed. The dominant background is the cosmogenic radioisotope 11C. Its rate is ∝10 times higher than the expected combined pep and CNO neutrino rate in the preferred energy window of observation at [0.8,1.3] MeV. Since 11C is mostly produced under the release of a free neutron, 11C can be tagged with a threefold coincidence (TFC) consisting of the muon signal, the neutron capture and the subsequent 11C decay. By optimizing the TFC method and other rejection techniques, a 11C rejection efficiency of 80% was achieved. This led to a neutrino-to-background ratio of 1:1.7, whereby 61% of statistics is lost. The second part of the work concerns the study of the external background. Especially long-range 2.6 MeV gamma rays from 208Tl decays in the outer detector parts can reach the scintillator in the innermost region of the detector. For the determination of the resultant spectral shape, a custom-made ∝5 MBq 228Th source was produced and an external calibration was carried out for the first time. The obtained calibration data and the achieved 11C rejection efficiency will allow for the direct detection of solar pep and possibly also CNO neutrinos with Borexino. (orig.)

We compare the prospects for detecting a neutrino magnetic moment by the measurement of neutrinos from a tritium source, reactors and low-energy beta-beams. In all cases the neutrinos or antineutrinos are detected by scattering of electrons. We find that a large (20 MCurie) tritium source could improve the limit on the neutrino magnetic moment significantly, down to the level of a few $\\times 10^{-12}$ while low-energy beta-beams with sufficiently rapid production of ions could improve the li...

provides another promising approachfor the identification of the sources of cosmic rays. The low event rates and large required target volumes limit the experimental methods to far-ranging signatures .from the cascade, such as acoustic emission from the quasi-instantaneous energy deposit or Cherenkov emission from the charged particles in the cascade. Searching for optical Cherenkov photons in a cubic-kilometer of Antarctic ice, the IceCube experiment has recently found an excess of high-energy neutrinos in the TeV-PeV range.Yet its effective volume is too small to detect the GZK flux predicted from interaction of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the ambient cosmic microwave background. Seeking to increase the observed target volume, radio observations of the rim of the moon have energy thresholds well beyond the EeV scale and thus are more likely to find interactions of charged cosmic rays than GZK neutrinos. The currently best sensitivity to this flux is provided from searches for GHz radio emission of neutrino-induced cascades in the antarctic ice from the ANITA ballon experiment. While no high-energy neutrinos have been found, a geomagnetic emission component from air-showers

in dense media provides another promising approachfor the identification of the sources of cosmic rays. The low event rates and large required target volumes limit the experimental methods to far-ranging signatures .from the cascade, such as acoustic emission from the quasi-instantaneous energy deposit or Cherenkov emission from the charged particles in the cascade. Searching for optical Cherenkov photons in a cubic-kilometer of Antarctic ice, the IceCube experiment has recently found an excess of high-energy neutrinos in the TeV-PeV range.Yet its effective volume is too small to detect the GZK flux predicted from interaction of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the ambient cosmic microwave background. Seeking to increase the observed target volume, radio observations of the rim of the moon have energy thresholds well beyond the EeV scale and thus are more likely to find interactions of charged cosmic rays than GZK neutrinos. The currently best sensitivity to this flux is provided from searches for GHz radio emission of neutrino-induced cascades in the antarctic ice from the ANITA ballon experiment. While no high-energy neutrinos have been found, a geomagnetic emission component from air-showers

We define the theoretical framework and deduce the conditions under which multi-messenger astronomy can constrain neutrino masses and unveil their ordering. The framework uses time differences between the arrival of neutrinos and the other two light messengers, i.e. light and gravitons, emitted in astrophysical catastrophes. We argue that it is possible to decrease the upper bound on the absolute mass of the lightest neutrino to less than about $0.02$~eV for astrophysical sources at around 10~Mpc and with neutrino energies of about $5$~MeV. We also show that the potential observation of neutrinos from astrophysical sources located at distances of hundreds of mega parsec similar to the one discovered by the LIGO collaboration \\cite{Abbott:2016blz} leads to stronger constraints on neutrino properties.

Precision measurements of solar neutrinos emitted by specific nuclear reaction chains in the Sun are of great interest for developing an improved understanding of star formation and evolution. Given the expected neutrino fluxes and known detection reactions, such measurements require detectors capable of collecting neutrino-electron scattering data in exposures on the order of 1 ktonne-yr, with good energy resolution and extremely low background. Two-phase liquid argon time projection chambers (LAr TPCs) are under development for direct Dark Matter WIMP searches, which possess very large sensitive mass, high scintillation light yield, good energy resolution, and good spatial resolution in all three cartesian directions. While enabling Dark Matter searches with sensitivity extending to the ``neutrino floor'' (given by the rate of nuclear recoil events from solar neutrino coherent scattering), such detectors could also enable precision measurements of solar neutrino fluxes using the neutrino-electron elastic scattering events. Modeling results are presented for the cosmogenic and radiogenic backgrounds affecting solar neutrinodetection in a 300 tonne (100 tonne fiducial) LAr TPC operating at LNGS depth (3,800 meters of water equivalent). The results show that such a detector could measure the CNO neutrino rate with ~15% precision, and significantly improve the precision of the 7Be and pep neutrino rates compared to the currently available results from the Borexino organic liquid scintillator detector.

Neutrino-dominated accretion flows (NDAFs) around rotating stellar-mass black holes (BHs) have been theorized as the central engine of relativistic jets launched in massive star core collapse events or compact star mergers. In this work, we calculate the electron neutrino/anti-neutrino spectra of NDAFs by fully taking into account the general relativistic effects, and investigate the effects of viewing angle, BH spin, and mass accretion rate on the results. We show that even though a typical ...

We determine constraints on sterile neutrino warm dark matter through direct detection experiments, taking XENON100 and its future stages as example. If keV-scale sterile neutrinos scatter inelastically with bound electrons of the target material, an electron recoil signal is generated. This can be used to set limits on the sterile neutrino mass and its mixing with the active sector. While not competitive with astrophysical constraints from X-ray data, the constraints are the first direct lab...

In the present work we estimate the potential background of solar neutrinos on electron detectors. These detectors are considered relevant for detecting light dark matter particles in the MeV region, currently sought by experiments. We find that the copious low energy pp neutrinos are a dangerous background at the energies involved in these experiments, in fact close to the anticipated event rate, while the more energetic Boron neutrinos are harmless

In the ASB-sodium loop a series of injection experiments with water, helium, argon and nitrogen was performed. The aim of these tests was to get: a comparison of the acoustic signals, generated by water and gas injections with regard to intensity and frequency content; an experimental basis for the design of an acoustic calibration source. The experimental set-up, the variation parameters and first results will be discussed. The principal design of an acoustic calibration source and its range of application will be given. (author)

The task of installing and servicing high energy neutrino detectors in the deep ocean from a surface support vessel is problematic using conventional tethered systems. An array of multiple detector strings rising 500 m from the ocean floor, and forming a grid with 50 m spacing between the strings, presents a substantial entanglement hazard for equipment cables deployed from the surface. Such tasks may be accomplished with fewer risks using a tetherless underwater remotely operated vehicle that has a local acoustic telemetry link to send control commands and sensor data between the vehicle and a stationary hydrophone suspended above or just outside the perimeter of the work site. The Phase I effort involves the development of an underwater acoustic telemetry link for vehicle control and sensor feedback, the evaluation of video compression methods for real-time acoustic transmission of video through the water, and the defining of local control routines on board the vehicle to allow it to perform certain basic m...

At an altitude of 1890m, a pre-test with an Air shower (AS) core selector and a small acoustic array set up in an anechoic pool with a volume of 20x7x7 cu m was performed, beginning in Aug. 1984. In analyzing the waveforms recorded during the effective working time of 186 hrs, three acoustic signals which cannot be explained as from any source other than AS cores were obtained, and an estimation of related parameters was made.

J.M. Herndon in 90s proposed a natural nuclear fission georeactor at the center of the Earth with a power output of 3 - 10 TW as an energy source to sustain the Earth magnetic field. R.S. Raghavan in 2002 pointed out that under certain condition antineutrinos generated in georeactor can be detected using massive scintillation detectors. It is considered that underground Baksan Neutrino Observatory (4880 m w.e.) as a possible site dor development in Geoneutrino physics. Here the intrinsic background level of less than 1 event/yr in a liquid scintillation ∼1000-t target detector can be achieved and the main source of background is the antineutrino flux from power reactors. It is find that this flux is ∼ 10 times lower than at KamLAND detector site and two times lower than at Gran Sasso laboratory and thus at Baksan the georeactor burning nuclear fuel by analysis of the antineutrino energy spectrum

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a premier facility for exploring long-standing questions about the boundaries of the standard model. Acting in concert with the liquid argon time projection chambers underpinning the far detector design, the DUNE photon detection system will capture ultraviolet scintillation light in order to provide valuable timing information for event reconstruction. To maximize the active area while maintaining a small photocathode coverage, the experiment will utilize a design based on plastic light guides coated with a wavelength-shifting compound, along with silicon photomultipliers, to collect and record scintillation light from liquid argon. This report presents recent preliminary performance measurements of this baseline design and several alternative designs which promise significant improvements in sensitivity to low-energy interactions.

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a premier facility for exploring long-standing questions about the boundaries of the standard model. Acting in concert with the liquid argon time projection chambers underpinning the far detector design, the DUNE photon detection system will capture ultraviolet scintillation light in order to provide valuable timing information for event reconstruction. To maximize the active area while maintaining a small photocathode coverage, the experiment will utilize a design based on plastic light guides coated with a wavelength-shifting compound, along with silicon photomultipliers, to collect and record scintillation light from liquid argon. This report presents recent preliminary performance measurements of this baseline design and several alternative designs which promise significant improvements in sensitivity to low-energy interactions.

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a premier facility for exploring long-standing questions about the boundaries of the standard model. Acting in concert with the liquid argon time projection chambers underpinning the far detector design, the DUNE photon detection system will capture ultraviolet scintillation light in order to provide valuable timing information for event reconstruction. To maximize the active area while maintaining a small photocathode coverage, the experiment will utilize a design based on plastic light guides coated with a wavelength-shifting compound, along with silicon photomultipliers, to collect and record scintillation light from liquid argon. This report presents recent preliminary performance measurements of this baseline design and several alternative designs which promise significant improvements in sensitivity to low-energy interactions.

A conceptual scheme of a hybrid-emulsion spectrometer for investigatingvarious channels of neutrino oscillations is proposed. The design emphasizesdetection of $\\tau$ leptons by detached vertices, reliable identification ofelectrons, and good spectrometry for all charged particles and photons. Adistributed target is formed by layers of low-Z material,emulsion-plastic-emulsion sheets, and air gaps in which $\\tau$ decays aredetected. The tracks of charged secondaries, including electrons, aremomentum-analyzed by curvature in magnetic field using hits in successive thinlayers of emulsion. The $\\tau$ leptons are efficiently detected in all majordecay channels, including \\xedec. Performance of a model spectrometer, thatcontains 3 tons of nuclear emulsion and 20 tons of passive material, isestimated for different experimental environments. When irradiated by the$\

This paper is focused on the detection of potentially dangerous acoustic events such as gun shots and breaking glass in the urban environment. Various feature extraction methods can be used forrepresenting the sound in the detection system based on Hidden Markov Models of acoustic events. Mel – frequency cepstral coefficients, low - level descriptors defined in MPEG-7 standard and another time andspectral features were considered in the system. For the selection of final subset of features Mi...

The NEMO Collaboration is conducting an R&D activity towards the construction of a Mediterranean km3 neutrino telescope. In this work, we present the results of Monte Carlo simulation studies on the capability of the proposed NEMO telescope to detect and identify point-like sources of high energy muon neutrinos.

We study the physics potential of the detection of the Cosmic Neutrino Background via neutrino capture on tritium, taking the proposed PTOLEMY experiment as a case study. With the projected energy resolution of Δ ∼ 0.15 eV, the experiment will be sensitive to neutrino masses with degenerate spectrum, m1 ≅ m2 ≅ m3 = mν ∼> 0.1 eV. These neutrinos are non-relativistic today; detecting them would be a unique opportunity to probe this unexplored kinematical regime. The signature of neutrino capture is a peak in the electron spectrum that is displaced by 2 mν above the beta decay endpoint. The signal would exceed the background from beta decay if the energy resolution is Δ ∼neutrino mass, being ΓD ≅ 4 and ΓM ≅ 8 events per year (for a 100 g tritium target) for unclustered Dirac and Majorana neutrinos, respectively. An enhancement of the rate of up to O(1) is expected due to gravitational clustering, with the unique potential to probe the local overdensity of neutrinos. Turning to more exotic neutrino physics, PTOLEMY could be sensitive to a lepton asymmetry, and reveal the eV-scale sterile neutrino that is favored by short baseline oscillation searches. The experiment would also be sensitive to a neutrino lifetime on the order of the age of the universe and break the degeneracy between neutrino mass and lifetime which affects existing bounds

Both active and sterile sub-eV neutrinos can form the cosmic neutrino background in the early Universe. We consider the beta-decaying (e.g., $^3$H) and EC-decaying (e.g., $^{163}$Ho) nuclei as the promising targets to capture relic neutrinos in the laboratory. We calculate the capture rates of relic electron neutrinos and antineutrinos against the corresponding beta decay or electron capture (EC) decay backgrounds in the (3+$N_{\\rm s}$) flavor mixing scheme, and discuss the future prospect in terms of the PTOLEMY project. We stress that such direct measurements of hot DM might not be hopeless in the long term.

Quench diagnostics in superconducting accelerator magnets is essential for understanding performance limitations and improving magnet design. Applicability of the conventional quench diagnostics methods such as voltage taps or quench antennas is limited for long magnets or complex winding geometries, and alternative approaches are desirable. Here, we discuss acoustic sensing technique for detecting mechanical vibrations in superconducting magnets. Using LARP high-field Nb3Sn quadrupole HQ01 [1], we show how acoustic data is connected with voltage instabilities measured simultaneously in the magnet windings during provoked extractions and current ramps to quench. Instrumentation and data analysis techniques for acoustic sensing are reviewed.

This talk provides a basic introduction for students interested in the responses of detectors to solar, supernova, and other low-energy neutrino sources. Some of the nuclear physics is then applied in a discussion of nucleosynthesis within a Type II supernova, including the r-process and the neutrino process.

Borexino is a large-volume organic liquid scintillator detector of unprecedented high radiopurity which has been designed for low-energy neutrino spectroscopy in real time. Besides the main objective of the experiment, the measurement of the solar {sup 7}Be neutrino flux, Borexino also aims at detecting solar neutrinos from the pep fusion process and from the CNO cycle. The detectability of these neutrinos is strictly connected to a successful rejection of all relevant background components. The identification and reduction of these background signals is the central subject of this dissertation. In the first part, contaminants induced by cosmic-ray muons and muon showers were analyzed. The dominant background is the cosmogenic radioisotope {sup 11}C. Its rate is {proportional_to}10 times higher than the expected combined pep and CNO neutrino rate in the preferred energy window of observation at [0.8,1.3] MeV. Since {sup 11}C is mostly produced under the release of a free neutron, {sup 11}C can be tagged with a threefold coincidence (TFC) consisting of the muon signal, the neutron capture and the subsequent {sup 11}C decay. By optimizing the TFC method and other rejection techniques, a {sup 11}C rejection efficiency of 80% was achieved. This led to a neutrino-to-background ratio of 1:1.7, whereby 61% of statistics is lost. The second part of the work concerns the study of the external background. Especially long-range 2.6 MeV gamma rays from {sup 208}Tl decays in the outer detector parts can reach the scintillator in the innermost region of the detector. For the determination of the resultant spectral shape, a custom-made {proportional_to}5 MBq {sup 228}Th source was produced and an external calibration was carried out for the first time. The obtained calibration data and the achieved {sup 11}C rejection efficiency will allow for the direct detection of solar pep and possibly also CNO neutrinos with Borexino. (orig.)

This report is based on a rapporteur talk presented at the 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference held in Merida, Mexico (July 2007), and covers three of the OG sessions devoted to neutrino, gravitational wave, and gamma-ray detection.

Current strategies of indirect dark matter detection with neutrino telescopes are based on the search for high-energy neutrinos from the solar core or from the center of the Earth. Here, we propose a new strategy based on the detection of neutrinos from dark matter annihilations in mini-spikes around intermediate mass black holes. Neutrino fluxes, in this case, depend on the annihilation cross-section of dark matter particles, whereas solar and terrestrial fluxes are sensitive to the scattering cross-section off nucleons, a circumstance that makes the proposed search complementary to the existing ones. We discuss the prospects for detection with upcoming underwater and under-ice experiments such as ANTARES and IceCube, and show that several, up to many, sources could be detected with both experiments. A kilometer-scale telescope in the Mediterranean appears to be ideally suited for the proposed search

The possibility to detect the passage of aircraft (either propeller or jet) with one or more mechanical wave sensors (acoustic or seismic) is investigated. An existing algorithm-sensor demonstator can detect and classify helicopter targets. In its current form it is developed to reject other targets

Zero-threshold reactions such as electron capture, beta+ and beta- decay can be induced by ultra low energy cosmic relic neutrinos (CRN). I conclude that the CRN can be detected and quantitatively measured with state of the art nuclear spectroscopic technologies. For current estimates of Pauli-limited number densities of CRN on earth, the detected CRN signals have the sensitivity to discover meV scale neutrino masses for which there are no strategies, much less, technologies at present.

The results on the composition of atmospheric neutrinos interacting in underground detectors and on the rate of atmospheric muon neutrino interactions in the earth surrounding the detectors are reviewed. So far, systematic errors on the neutrino flux and on the electrons and muons neutrino interaction identifications are not yet reliable enough to prove that atmospheric neutrinos oscillate before being detected. (author) 22 refs., 5 figs

Calibration of acousticneutrino telescopes with neutrino-like signals is essential to evaluate the feasibility of the technique and to know the efficiency of the detectors. However, it is not straightforward to have acoustic transmitters that, on one hand, are able to mimic the signature of a UHE neutrino interaction, that is, a bipolar acoustic pulse with the ‘pancake’ directivity, and on the other hand, fulfil practical issues such as ease of deployment and operation. This is a non-trivial problem since it requires directive transducer with cylindrical symmetry for a broadband frequency range. Classical solutions using linear arrays of acoustic transducers result in long arrays with many elements, which increase the cost and the complexity for deployment and operation. In this paper we present the extension of our previous R and D studies using the parametric acoustic source technique by dealing with the cylindrical symmetry and demonstrating that it is possible to use this technique for having a compact solution that could be much more easily included in neutrino telescope infrastructures or used in specific sea campaigns for calibration.

The direct search for dark matter WIMP particles through their interaction with nuclei at the "neutrino floor" sensitivity, where neutrino-induced coherent scattering on nuclei starts contributing to the background, requires detectors capable of collecting exposures of the order of 1~ktonne yr free of background resulting from beta and gamma decays and cosmogenic and radiogenic neutrons. The same constraints are required for precision measurements of solar neutrinos elastically scattering on electrons. Two-phase liquid argon time projection chambers (LAr TPCs) are prime candidates for the ambitious program to explore the nature of dark matter. The large target, high scintillation light yield and good spatial resolution in all three cartesian directions concurrently allows a high precision measurement of solar neutrino fluxes. We studied the cosmogenic and radiogenic backgrounds affecting solar neutrinodetection in a 300 tonne (100 tonne fiducial) LAr TPC operating at LNGS depth (3,800 meters of water equival...

The task of installing and servicing high energy neutrino detectors in the deep ocean from a surface support vessel is problematic using conventional tethered systems. An array of multiple detector strings rising 500 m from the ocean floor, and forming a grid with 50 m spacing between the strings, presents a substantial entanglement hazard for equipment cables deployed from the surface. Such tasks may be accomplished with fewer risks using a tetherless underwater remotely operated vehicle that has a local acoustic telemetry link to send control commands and sensor data between the vehicle and a stationary hydrophone suspended above or just outside the perimeter of the work site. The Phase I effort involves the development of an underwater acoustic telemetry link for vehicle control and sensor feedback, the evaluation of video compression methods for real-time acoustic transmission of video through the water, and the defining of local control routines on board the vehicle to allow it to perform certain basic maneuvering tasks autonomously, or to initiate a self-rescue if the acoustic control link should be lost. In Phase II, a prototype tetherless vehicle system will be designed and constructed to demonstrate the ability to install cable interconnections within a detector array at 4 km depth. The same control technology could be used with a larger more powerful vehicle to maneuver the detector strings into desired positions as they are being lowered to the ocean floor

The task of installing and servicing high energy neutrino detectors in the deep ocean from a surface support vessel is problematic using conventional tethered systems. An array of multiple detector strings rising 500 m from the ocean floor, and forming a grid with 50 m spacing between the strings, presents a substantial entanglement hazard for equipment cables deployed from the surface. Such tasks may be accomplished with fewer risks using a tetherless underwater remotely operated vehicle that has a local acoustic telemetry link to send control commands and sensor data between the vehicle and a stationary hydrophone suspended above or just outside the perimeter of the work site. The Phase I effort involves the development of an underwater acoustic telemetry link for vehicle control and sensor feedback, the evaluation of video compression methods for real-time acoustic transmission of video through the water, and the defining of local control routines on board the vehicle to allow it to perform certain basic maneuvering tasks autonomously, or to initiate a self-rescue if the acoustic control link should be lost. In Phase II, a prototype tetherless vehicle system will be designed and constructed to demonstrate the ability to install cable interconnections within a detector array at 4 km depth. The same control technology could be used with a larger more powerful vehicle to maneuver the detector strings into desired positions as they are being lowered to the ocean floor.

J.M. Herndon in the 1990s proposed a natural nuclear fission georeactor at the center of the Earth with a power output of 3-10 TW as an energy source to sustain the Earth magnetic field. R.S. Raghavan in 2002 pointed out that, under certain conditions, antineutrinos generated in such a georeactor can be detected using massive scintillation detectors. We consider the underground Baksan Neutrino Observatory (4800 m w.e.) as a possible site for developments in geoneutrino physics. Here, the intrinsic background level of less than 1 event/yr in a liquid scintillation ∼1000-t target detector can be achieved and the main source of background is the antineutrino flux from power reactors. We find that this flux is ∼10 times lower than at the KamLAND detector site and two times lower than at the Gran Sasso laboratory and thus at Baksan the georeactor hypothesis can be conclusively tested. We also discuss possible searches for the composition of georeactor burning nuclear fuel by analysis of the antineutrino energy spectrum

J.M. Herndon in 90-s proposed a natural nuclear fission georeactor at the center of the Earth with a power output of 3-10 TW as an energy source to sustain the Earth magnetic field. R.S. Raghavan in 2002 y. pointed out that under certain condition antineutrinos generated in georeactor can be detected using massive scintillation detectors. We consider the underground Baksan Neutrino Observatory (4800 m.w.e.) as a possible site for developments in Geoneutrino physics. Here the intrinsic background level of less than one event/year in a liquid scintillation ~1000 target ton detector can be achieved and the main source of background is the antineutrino flux from power reactors. We find that this flux is ~10 times lower than at KamLAND detector site and two times lower than at Gran Sasso laboratory and thus at Baksan the georeactor hypothesis can be conclusively tested. We also discuss possible search for composition of georector burning nuclear fuel by analysis of the antineutrino energy spectrum.

We explore the electron neutrino signals from light dark matter (DM) annihilation in the Sun for the large liquid scintillator detector JUNO. In terms of the spectrum features of three typical DM annihilation channels $\\chi \\chi \\rightarrow \

The purpose of the workshop was to review this vital field of the solar neutrino physics and to search for new techniques for next generation detectors to cover full range of the solar neutrino spectrum. Reviews of the solar model, the matter oscillation and experimental status were given. Discussions were also focused on a radio chemical measurement and indium detectors. Progress reports of scintillation fibers and indium-loaded scintillators were presented. Possible new detectors to use low temperature techniques were also reported. Progress reports from the Kamioka experiment, the only one from the real world, covered their search for the solar neutrinos and the effect of the matter oscillation of atomospheric neutrinos. (author)

The KM3NeT Collaboration has started the construction of a next generation high-energy neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea: the largest and most sensitive neutrino research infrastructure. The full KM3NeT detector will be a several cubic kilometres distributed, networked infrastructure. In Italy, off the coast of Capo Passero, and in France, off the coast of Toulon. Thanks to its location in the Northern hemisphere and to its large instrumented volume, KM3NeT will be the optimal instrument to search for neutrinos from the Southern sky and in particular from the Galactic plane, thus making it complementary to IceCube. In this work the technologically innovative component of the detector, the status of construction and the first results from prototypes of the KM3NeT detector will be described as well as its capability to discover neutrino sources are reported.

We point out that with improving our present knowledge of experimental neutrino physics it will be possible to locate nuclear powered vehicles like submarines, aircraft carriers and UFOs and detect nuclear testing. Since neutrinos cannot be shielded, it will not be possible to escape these detection. In these detectors it will also be possible to perform neutrino oscillation experiments during any nuclear testing.

clicks regularly to echolocate on prey during deep foraging dives. The effectiveness of PAD for beaked whales depends not only on the acoustic behavior and output of the animals but also on environmental conditions and the quality of the passive sonar implemented. A primary constraint on the range at...... receiver close to the surface should be able to detectacoustically Cuvier's beaked whales with a high probability at distances up to 0.7 km, provided the listening duration exceeds the deep dive interval, about 2.5 h on average. Detection ranges beyond 4 km are unlikely and would require low ambient...

We consider a possibility to use the solar neutrinos for studies of small scale structures of the Earth and for geological research. Effects of thin layers of matter with density contrast on oscillations of Beryllium neutrinos inside the Earth are studied. We find that change of the $^7Be$ neutrino flux can reach 0.25 % for layers with density of oil and size $(10 - 100)$ km. Problems of detection are discussed. Hypothetical method would consist of measuring the $^7Be -$ flux by e.g. large deep underwater detector-submarine which could change its location.

The ANTARES telescope is well-suited to detect high energy neutrinos produced in astrophysical transient sources as it can observe a full hemisphere of the sky with a high duty cycle. Potential neutrino sources are gamma-ray bursts, core-collapse supernovae and flaring active galactic nuclei. To enhance the sensitivity of ANTARES to such sources, a detection method based on follow-up observations from the neutrino direction has been developed. This program, denoted as TAToO, includes a network of robotic optical telescopes (TAROT, Zadko and MASTER) and the Swift-XRT telescope, which are triggered when an "interesting" neutrino is detected by ANTARES. A follow-up of special events, such as neutrino doublets in time/space coincidence or a single neutrino having a very high energy or in the specific direction of a local galaxy, significantly improves the perspective for the detection of transient sources. The analysis of early and long term follow-up observations to search for fast and slowly varying transient sources, respectively, has been performed and the results covering optical and X-ray data are presented in this contribution.

The IceCube telescope has detected diffuse neutrino emission, 20 events of which were reported to be above 60~TeV. In this paper, we fit the diffuse neutrino spectrum using Poisson statistics, which are the most appropriate for the low counts per energy bin. We extend the fitted energy range and exploit the fact that no neutrinos were detected above 2~PeV, despite the high detector sensitivity around the Glashow resonance at 6.3\\,PeV and beyond. A best-fit power-law slope of $\\alpha=2.9\\pm 0.3$ is found with no evidence for a high-energy cutoff. This slope is steeper than $\\alpha=2.3\\pm 0.3$ found by the IceCube team using a different fitting method. Such a steep spectrum facilitates the identification of high energy ($\\gg$ PeV) neutrinos, if detected, to be due to the GZK effect of cosmic-ray protons interacting with the Extragalactic Background Light. We use the ratio of EeV to PeV neutrinos in GZK models to show that the currently detected PeV neutrinos could not be due to the GZK effect, because this woul...

Full Text Available The ANTARES telescope is well-suited to detect high energy neutrinos produced in astrophysical transient sources as it can observe a full hemisphere of the sky with a high duty cycle. Potential neutrino sources are gamma-ray bursts, core-collapse supernovae and flaring active galactic nuclei. To enhance the sensitivity of ANTARES to such sources, a detection method based on follow-up observations from the neutrino direction has been developed. This program, denoted as TAToO, includes a network of robotic optical telescopes (TAROT, Zadko and MASTER and the Swift-XRT telescope, which are triggered when an “interesting” neutrino is detected by ANTARES. A follow-up of special events, such as neutrino doublets in time/space coincidence or a single neutrino having a very high energy or in the specific direction of a local galaxy, significantly improves the perspective for the detection of transient sources. The analysis of early and long term follow-up observations to search for fast and slowly varying transient sources, respectively, has been performed and the results covering optical and X-ray data are presented in this contribution.

We compare the prospects for detecting a neutrino magnetic moment by the measurement of neutrinos from a tritium source, reactors and low-energy beta-beams. In all cases the neutrinos or antineutrinos are detected by scattering of electrons. We find that a large (20 MCurie) tritium source could improve the limit on the neutrino magnetic moment significantly, down to the level of a few $\\times 10^{-12}$ while low-energy beta-beams with sufficiently rapid production of ions could improve the limits to the level of a few $\\times 10^{-11}$. The latter would require ion production at the rate of at least $10^{15}$ s$^{-1}$.

For detection of neutrinos from galactic supernovae, the planned Hyper-Kamiokande detector will be the first detector that delivers both a high event rate (about one third of the IceCube rate) and event-by-event energy information. In this thesis, we use a three-dimensional computer simulation by the Garching group to find out whether this additional information can be used to improve the detection prospects of fast time variations in the neutrino flux. We find that the amplitude of SASI oscillations of the neutrino number flux is energy-dependent. However, in this simulation, the larger amplitude in some energy bins is not sufficient to counteract the increased noise caused by the lower event rate. Finally, we derive a condition describing when it is advantageous to consider an energy bin instead of the total signal and show that this condition is satisfied if the oscillation of the mean neutrino energy is increased slightly.

In order to study the possibility of acousticdetection of ultra-high energy neutrinos in water, our group is planning to deploy and operate an array of acoustic sensors using the ANTARES Neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, acoustic sensor hardware has to be developed which is both capable of operation under the hostile conditions of the deep sea and at the same time provides the high sensitivity necessary to detect the weak pressure signals resulting from the neutrino's interaction in water. In this paper, two different approaches to building such sensors, as well as performance studies in the laboratory and in situ, are presented.

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) has become endangered partly because of watercraft collisions in Florida's coastal waterways. To reduce the number of collisions, warning systems based upon detecting manatee vocalizations have been proposed. One aspect of the feasibility of an acoustically based warning system relies upon the distance at which a manatee vocalization is detectable. Assuming a mixed spreading model, this paper presents a theoretical analysis of the system detection capabilities operating within various background and watercraft noise conditions. This study combines measured source levels of manatee vocalizations with the modeled acoustic properties of manatee habitats to develop a method for determining the detection range and hydrophone spacing requirements for acoustic based manatee avoidance technologies. In quiet environments (background noise approximately 70 dB) it was estimated that manatee vocalizations are detectable at approximately 250 m, with a 6 dB detection threshold, In louder environments (background noise approximately 100dB) the detection range drops to 2.5 m. In a habitat with 90 dB of background noise, a passing boat with a maximum noise floor of 120 dB would be the limiting factor when it is within approximately 100 m of a hydrophone. The detection range was also found to be strongly dependent on the manatee vocalization source level. PMID:16875213

The author reviews the birth of neutrino astronomy, with special emphasis on the pioneering contributions to the detection of solar and supernova neutrinos of the 2002 Nobel Prize winners, Raymond Davis Jr and Masatoshi Koshiba. The author describes briefly the recent developments in this rapidly growing field as well as the prospects for the near future, and concludes with a few thoughts that come from reflecting over the history

The large-volume liquid-scintillator detector LENA (Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy) will provide high-grade background discrimination and enable the detection of diffuse supernova neutrinos (DSN) in an almost background-free energy window from ~10 to 25 MeV. Within ten years of exposure, it will be possible to derive significant constraints on both core-collapse supernova models and the supernova rate in the near universe up to redshifts z

We have investigated the possibility that large rock salt formations might be suitable as target masses for detection of neutrinos of energies about 10 PeV and above. In neutrino interactions at these energies, the secondary electromagnetic cascade produces a coherent radio pulse well above ambient thermal noise via the Askaryan effect. We describe measurements of radio-frequency attenuation lengths and ambient thermal noise in two salt formations. Measurements in the Waste Isolation Pilot Pl...

New information on the structure of the nucleon from the HERA ep collider leads to higher neutrino cross sections for the processes nu_mu + N --> mu + X needed to calculate the expected rates of astrophysical neutrino induced muons in large detectors either under construction, or in the design stage. These higher cross sections lead to higher muon rates for arrival angles where neutrino attenuation in the earth is less important. On the other hand, new estimates of AGN neutrino fluxes suggest that the expected muon rates in these detectors may be much lower than previously calculated. I use the new cross sections to calculate the expected muon rates and angular distributions in large detectors for a variety of AGN models and compare these rates with the atmospheric neutrino backrounds (from both conventional decay channels and the "prompt" charmed meson decay channels). If the lowest flux estimates are correct, there may be diffculties in determining the origin of a small excess of muons, due to the large unc...

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is a second generation water &Ccaron;erenkov detector using 1000 tonnes of heavy water to study neutrino astrophysics. Using deuterium neutrino reactions, SNO will measure the flux and energy spectrum of solar electron neutrinos, and will measure the flavour-blind flux of neutrinos. A nitrogen/multi-dye laser diffuser ball has been designed and installed in SNO for calibration of the electronics, photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and optical parameters. The laser provides pulsed radiation at 337.1 nm with a 600 psec width and pulse rate up to 50 Hz. The laser can be used directly or as a pump for one of four dye laser resonators, which provides five wavelength selections from 337–500 nm. The light is delivered to a pseudo-isotropic diffuser ball (the laserball) by a 100 μm UV-VIS fibre bundle with less than 1 nsec dispersion at 337 nm. The laserball can be deployed throughout the detector with the rope manipulator system. The laserball output is adjustabl...

Since the spectrogram does not preserve phase information contained in the original data, any algorithm based on the spectrogram is not likely to be optimum for detection. In this paper, we present the Short Time Fourier Transform detector to detect marine mammals in the time-frequency plane. The detector uses phase information for detection. We evaluate this detector by comparing it to the existing spectrogram based detectors for different SNRs and various environments including a known ocea...

Supernova (SN) neutrinosdetected on the Earth are subject to the shock wave effects, the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) effects, the neutrino collective effects and the Earth matter effects. Considering the recent experimental result about the large mixing angle $\\theta_{13}$ ($\\backsimeq8.8^{\\circ}$) provided by the Daya Bay Collaboration and applying the available knowledge for the neutrino conversion probability in the high resonance of SN, $P_{H}$, which is in the form of hypergeometric function in the case of large $\\theta_{13}$, we deduce the expression of $P_{H}$ taking into account the shock wave effects. It is found that $P_{H}$ is not zero in a certain range of time due to the shock wave effects. After considering all the four physical effects and scanning relevant parameters, we calculate the event numbers of SN neutrinosdetected at the Daya Bay experiment. From the numerical results, it is found that the behaviors of neutrino event numbers detected on the Earth depend on the neutrino mass hi...

A study of piezoceramics as sensitive elements for the use in acoustical astroparticle physics is presented in this work. This study aims to develop underwater microphones (hydrophones) in order to detect thermoacoustic sound pulses, which are produced in neutrino interactions. The sensitive elements of the acoustical detectors, the piezo ceramics, are under investigation in this work. Therefore the equations of a piezo are solved in simulations to derive its macroscopic properties. Especially the impedance and the displacement of the piezo as response to applied voltage are of interest. This is correlated with the electrical and mechanical answer of a piezo when sending. For receiving the resulting voltage or the electrical charge due to applied stress are of interest. In the present studies cylinder and hollow cylinder were analyzed. Insight of the interrelationship between the displacement and the impedance is given. The impedance is fitted with an equivalent circuit, to derive the mechanical analog properties. Furthermore the effect of the piezo geometry to the resonance frequencies is explored. Further calculations were made to reveal the sound field produced by a piezo. Measurements of the impedance with a phase-gain-analyser are made. On the other side the displacement is measured using optical interferometry. Beside the simulation and measurements of the piezosensitive elements a study for a trigger-algorithm using the crosscorrelation is introduced. In this study in situ measurements with low signal amplitudes are used to describe noise. To this noise data signals were added and it was examined how well the signals can be reconstructed. Based on the result of this work and taking commercial available piezoceramic materials into account, the optimal sensitive element of an acousticneutrino detector is a PZT-5A disc with a diameter of 5 mm and a height of 10 mm. A single detector of this kind is able to detectneutrinos with energies more then one PeV as it

Low-energy neutrino physics and astrophysics has been one of the most active field of particle physics research over the past two decades, achieving important and sometimes unexpected results, which have paved the way for a bright future of further exciting studies. The methods, the techniques and the technologies employed for the construction of the many experiments which acted as important players in this area of investigation have been crucial elements to reach the many accumulated physics successes. The topic covered in this review is, thus, the description of the main features of the set of methodologies at the basis of the design, construction and operation of low-energy neutrino detectors.

Stress rupture tests have been carried out on CrMoV steel specimens containing weld heat affected zone structures. An acoustic emission technique is described which has been used to detect cracking in these tests. Cavitational damage is associated with bursts of acoustic output and these results have been supported by fractograpic examination. The features of progressive cavitational damage are described for materials of different cracking susceptibility. It is implied that cavity formation can occur in the heat affected zone of CrMoV welds when heating to the stress relieving temperature. (orig.)

Reductions in Navy maintenance budgets and available personnel have dictated the need to transition from time-based to 'condition-based' maintenance. Achieving this will require new enabling diagnostic technologies. One such technology, the use of acoustic emission for the early detection of helicopter rotor head dynamic component faults, has been investigated by Honeywell Technology Center for its rotor acoustic monitoring system (RAMS). This ambitious, 38-month, proof-of-concept effort, which was a part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Air Vehicle Diagnostics System program, culminated in a successful three-week flight test of the RAMS system at Patuxent River Flight Test Center in September 1997. The flight test results demonstrated that stress-wave acoustic emission technology can detect signals equivalent to small fatigue cracks in rotor head components and can do so across the rotating articulated rotor head joints and in the presence of other background acoustic noise generated during flight operation. This paper presents the results of stress wave data analysis of the flight-test dataset using wavelet-based techniques to assess background operational noise vs. machinery failure detection results.

Beaked whales can remain submerged for an hour or more and are difficult to sight when they come to the surface to breathe. Passive acousticdetection (PAD) not only complements traditional visual-based methods for detecting these species but also can be more effective because beaked whales produce clicks regularly to echolocate on prey during deep foraging dives. The effectiveness of PAD for beaked whales depends not only on the acoustic behavior and output of the animals but also on environmental conditions and the quality of the passive sonar implemented. A primary constraint on the range at which beaked whale clicks can be detected involves their high frequencies, which attenuate rapidly, resulting in limited ranges of detection, especially in adverse environmental conditions. Given current knowledge of source parameters and in good conditions, for example, with a wind speed of 2 ms, a receiver close to the surface should be able to detectacoustically Cuvier's beaked whales with a high probability at distances up to 0.7 km, provided the listening duration exceeds the deep dive interval, about 2.5 h on average. Detection ranges beyond 4 km are unlikely and would require low ambient noise or special sound propagation conditions. PMID:19045770

Acoustic telemetry is an important tool for studying the movement patterns, behaviour, and site fidelity of marine organisms; however, its application is challenged in coral reef environments where complex topography and intense environmental noise interferes with acoustic signals, and there has been less study. Therefore, it is particularly critical in coral reef telemetry studies to first conduct a long-term range test, a tool that provides informa- tion on the variability and periodicity of the transmitter detection range and the detection probability. A one-month range test of a coded telemetric system was conducted prior to a large-scale tagging project investigating the movement of approximately 400 fishes from 30 species on offshore coral reefs in the central Red Sea. During this range test we determined the effect of the following factors on transmitter detection efficiency: distance from receiver, time of day, depth, wind, current, moon-phase and temperature. The experiment showed that biological noise is likely to be responsible for a diel pattern of -on average- twice as many detections during the day as during the night. Biological noise appears to be the most important noise source in coral reefs overwhelming the effect of wind-driven noise, which is important in other studies. Detection probability is also heavily influenced by the location of the acoustic sensor within the reef structure. Understanding the effect of environmental factors on transmitter detection probability allowed us to design a more effective receiver array for the large-scale tagging study.

The PTOLEMY experiment (Princeton Tritium Observatory for Light, Early-Universe, Massive-Neutrino Yield) aims to achieve the sensitivity required to detect the relic neutrino background through a combination of a large area surface-deposition tritium target, MAC-E filter methods, cryogenic calorimetry, and RF tracking and time-of-flight systems. A small-scale prototype is in operation at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory with the goal of validating the technologies that would enable the design of a 100 gram PTOLEMY. With precision calorimetry in the prototype setup, the limitations from quantum mechanical and Doppler broadening of the tritium target for different substrates will be measured, including graphene substrates. Beyond relic neutrino physics, sterile neutrinos contributing to the dark matter in the universe are allowed by current constraints on partial contributions to the number of active neutrino species in thermal equilibrium in the early universe. The current PTOLEMY prototype is expected ...

The ARIANNA concept utilizes the Ross Ice Shelf near the coast of Antarctica to increase the sensitivity to cosmogenic neutrinos by roughly an order of magnitude when compared to the sensitivity of existing detectors and those under construction. Therefore, ARIANNA can test a wide variety of scenarios for GZK neutrino production, and probe for physics beyond the standard model by measuring the neutrino cross-section at center of momentum energies near 100 TeV. ARIANNA capitalizes on several remarkable properties of the Ross Ice Shelf: shelf ice is relatively transparent to electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies and the water-ice boundary below the shelf creates a good mirror to reflect radio signals from neutrino interactions in any downward direction. The high sensitivity results from nearly six months of continuous operation, low energy threshold (∼3x1017 eV), and more than 2π of sky coverage. The baseline concept for ARIANNA consists of moderately high gain antenna stations arranged on a 100 x 100 square grid, separated by about 300m. Each station consists of a small group of cross-polarized antennas residing just beneath the snow surface and facing downwards. They communicate with a central control hub by wireless links to generate global triggers

A novel low-energy (∼few keV) neutrino-oscillation experiment NOSTOS, combining a strong tritium source and a high pressure spherical Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detector 10 m in radius has been recently proposed. The oscillation of neutrinos of such energies occurs within the size of the detector itself, potentially allowing for a very precise (and rather systematics-free) measure of the oscillation parameters, in particular, of the smaller mixing angle θ13, which value could be determined for the first time. This detector could also be sensitive to the neutrino magnetic moment and be capable of accurately measure the Weinberg angle at low energy. The same apparatus, filled with high pressure Xenon, exhibits a high sensitivity as a Super Nova neutrino detector with extra galactic sensitivity. The outstanding benefits of the new concept of the spherical TPC will be presented, as well as the issues to be demonstrated in the near future by an ongoing R and D. The very first results of small prototype in operation in Saclay are shown

The signal produced in neutrino observatories by the pair-annihilation neutrinos emitted from a 20 $M_{\\odot}$ pre-supernova star at the silicon burning phase is estimated. The spectrum of the neutrinos with an average energy $\\sim$2 MeV is calculated with the use of the Monte Carlo method. A few relevant reactions for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos in modern detectors are considered. The most promising results are from $\\bar{\

Since the spectrogram does not preserve phase information contained in the original data, any algorithm based on the spectrogram is not likely to be optimum for detection. In this paper, we present the Short Time Fourier Transform detector to detect marine mammals in the time-frequency plane. The detector uses phase information for detection. We evaluate this detector by comparing it to the existing spectrogram based detectors for different SNRs and various environments including a known ocean, uncertain ocean, and mean ocean. The results show that this detector outperforms the spectrogram based detector. Simulations are presented using the polynomial phase signal model of the North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW), along with the bellhop ray tracing model.

The RAMAND-I (RAdioMuon And Neutrino Detector-Ice) is presented briefly. This project was initiated to develop acousticdetection techniques for the measurement of high-energy neutrinos arriving from the Universe.The detector itself is a 10 x 100 km2 area ice surface on the Antarctica equipped with a suitable antenna network. (R.P.) 11 refs.; 8 figs

The extensive network of high-pressure natural gas transmission pipelines covering the United States provides an important infrastructure for our energy independence. Early detection of pipeline leaks and infringements by construction equipment, resulting in corrosion fractures, presents an important aspect of our national security policy. The National Energy Technology Laboratory Strategic Center for Natural Gas (SCVG) is and has been funding research on various applicable techniques. The WVU research team has focused on monitoring pipeline background acoustic signals generated and transmitted by gas flowing through the gas inside the pipeline. In case of a pipeline infringement, any mechanical impact on the pipe wall, or escape of high-pressure gas, generates acoustic signals traveling both up and down stream through the gas. Sudden changes in flow noise are detectable with a Portable Acoustic Monitoring Package (PAMP), developed under this contract. It incorporates a pressure compensating microphone and a signal- recording device. Direct access to the gas inside the line is obtained by mounting such a PAMP, with a 1/2 inch NPT connection, to a pipeline pressure port found near most shut-off valves. An FFT of the recorded signal subtracted by that of the background noise recorded one-second earlier appears to sufficiently isolate the infringement signal to allow source interpretation. Using cell phones for data downloading might allow a network of such 1000-psi rated PAMP's to acoustically monitor a pipeline system and be trained by neural network software to positively identify and locate any pipeline infringement.

The extensive network of high-pressure natural gas transmission pipelines covering the United States provides an important infrastructure for our energy independence. Early detection of pipeline leaks and infringements by construction equipment, resulting in corrosion fractures, presents an important aspect of our national security policy. The National Energy Technology Laboratory Strategic Center for Natural Gas (SCVG) is and has been funding research on various applicable techniques. The WVU research team has focused on monitoring pipeline background acoustic signals generated and transmitted by gas flowing through the gas inside the pipeline. In case of a pipeline infringement, any mechanical impact on the pipe wall, or escape of high-pressure gas, generates acoustic signals traveling both up and down stream through the gas. Sudden changes in flow noise are detectable with a Portable Acoustic Monitoring Package (PAMP), developed under this contract. It incorporates a pressure compensating microphone and a signal- recording device. Direct access to the gas inside the line is obtained by mounting such a PAMP, with a 1/2 inch NPT connection, to a pipeline pressure port found near most shut-off valves. An FFT of the recorded signal subtracted by that of the background noise recorded one-second earlier appears to sufficiently isolate the infringement signal to allow source interpretation. Using cell phones for data downloading might allow a network of such 1000-psi rated PAMP's to acoustically monitor a pipeline system and be trained by neural network software to positively identify and locate any pipeline infringement.

We explore a new low-threshold direct-detection concept for dark matter, based on the breaking of chemical bonds between atoms. This includes the dissociation of molecules and the creation of defects in a lattice. With thresholds of a few to 10's of eV, such an experiment could probe the nuclear couplings of dark matter particles as light as a few MeV. We calculate the expected rates for dark matter to break apart diatomic molecules, which we take as a case study for more general systems. We briefly mention ideas for how chemical-bond breaking might be detected in practice. We also discuss the possibility of detecting solar neutrinos, including pp neutrinos, with this experimental concept. With an event rate of $\\mathcal{O}$(0.1/kg-year), large exposures are required, but measuring low-energy solar neutrinos would provide a crucial test of the solar model.

Metamaterials have demonstrated the possibility to produce super-resolved images by restoring propagative and evanescent waves. However, for efficient information transfer, for example, in compressed sensing, it is often desirable to visualize only the fast spatial variations of the wave field (carried by evanescent waves), as the one created by edges or small details. Image processing edge detection algorithms perform such operation, but they add time and complexity to the ima...

A promising method for further measurements of high energy neutrinos at the PeV scale and above is through an in-ice radio interferometric phased array, designed to look for Askaryan emission from neutrinos interacting in large volumes of glacial ice. Such a detector would be sensitive to two populations of neutrinos: the PeV-scale astrophysical neutrino flux recently detected by IceCube, and the predicted cosmogenic ultra-high energy (UHE) flux ($E>10^{17}$ eV). Characterizing these high energy neutrino populations is an important step toward understanding the most energetic cosmic accelerators, and the discovery of UHE neutrinos would allow us to probe fundamental physics at energy scales that are not achievable on Earth. We report here on studies validating the phased array technique, including measurements and a simulation of thermal noise correlations between nearby antennas, beamforming for impulsive signals, and a measurement of the expected improvement in trigger efficiency through the phased array te...

We have presented an overview of our teamâ€™s (at Stevens Institute of Technology) contribution in development of resonance and nonlinear Seismo-Acoustic Mine Detection (SAMD) techniques. Among our major accomplishments are the discovery and quantitative characterization of mine resonances; the discovery of a very strong nonlinear dynamics of the buried mines manifesting itself through the combination and intermodulation frequencies; the development of a physical model describing the linear a...

The results presented here indicate that there is a high probability of confidentially detecting pilot stage leakage in safety/relief valves through the use of acoustic monitoring, especially in the frequency range 30-60 kHz. This should be particularly true if the sensors and signal processing equipment are designed for sensitivity to this range, and if routine or continuous monitoring is performed so that trends can be recognized

A new pulsed microwave acoustic method is shown to be suited for the detection of EPR. Pressure amplitudes obtained for DPPH in n-hexane agree with theoretical predictions. Our calculations clearly demonstrate that temperature gradients within the sample are important for generating large signal amplitudes. Hence this technique is of special interest for samples with an inhomogeneous distribution of paramagnetic centers or for the study of interfaces.

We investigate the possibility of detecting baryon acoustic oscillation features in the cosmic matter distribution by 3d weak lensing. Baryon oscillations are inaccessible even to weak lensing tomography because of wide line-of-sight weighting functions and require a specialized approach via 3d shear estimates. We quantify the uncertainty of estimating the matter spectrum amplitude at the baryon oscillations wave vectors by a Fisher-matrix approach with a fixed cosmology and show in this way ...

The human-elephant conflict is one of the most serious conservation problems in Asia and Africa today. The involuntary confrontation of humans and elephants claims the lives of many animals and humans every year. A promising approach to alleviate this conflict is the development of an acoustic early warning system. Such a system requires the robust automated detection of elephant vocalizations under unconstrained field conditions. Today, no system exists that fulfills these requirements. In t...

Open neutrino physics issues require precision studies, both theoretical and experimental ones, and towards this aim coherent neutral current neutrino-nucleus scattering events are expected to be observed soon. In this work, we explore $\

The use of liquid helium and neon as scintillators for neutrinodetection is investigated. Several unique properties of these cryogens make them promising candidates for real-time solar neutrino spectroscopy: large ultraviolet scintillation yields from ionizing radiation, transparency to their own scintillation light, and low levels of radioactive impurities. When neutrinos scatter from electrons in liquid helium or neon, ultraviolet light is emitted. The ultraviolet scintillation light can b...

Acoustic signals are a principal detection modality for unattended sensor systems. However, the performance of these systems is frequently suboptimal due to insufficient dynamic range in small systems or excess power consumption in larger systems. This paper discusses an approach to developing an unattended ground sensor (UGS) system that has the best features of both worlds. This system, developed by McQ Inc., has exceptional dynamic range (> 100 dB) while operating at power levels of 1.5-5 watts. The system also has a user definable signal parameter library and automated detection methodology that will be described.

Pressurized rail tank cars transport large volumes of volatile liquids and gases throughout the country, much of which is hazardous and/or flammable. These gases, once released in the atmosphere, can wreak havoc with the environment and local populations. We developed a system which can non-intrusively and non-invasively detect and locate pinhole-sized leaks in pressurized rail tank cars using acoustic sensors. The sound waves from a leak are produced by turbulence from the gas leaking to the atmosphere. For example, a 500 μm hole in an air tank pressurized to 689 kPa produces a broad audio frequency spectrum with a peak near 40 kHz. This signal is detectable at 10 meters with a sound pressure level of 25 dB. We are able to locate a leak source using triangulation techniques. The prototype of the system consists of a network of acoustic sensors and is located approximately 10 meters from the center of the rail-line. The prototype has two types of acoustic sensors, each with different narrow frequency response band: 40 kHz and 80 kHz. The prototype is connected to the Internet using WiFi (802.11g) transceiver and can be remotely operated from anywhere in the world. The paper discusses the construction, operation and performance of the system.

Recent events of drones flying over city centers, official buildings and nuclear installations stressed the growing threat of uncontrolled drone proliferation and the lack of real countermeasure. Indeed, detecting and tracking them can be difficult with traditional techniques. A system to acousticallydetect and track small moving objects, such as drones or ground robots, using acoustic cameras is presented. The described sensor, is completely passive, and composed of a 120-element microphone array and a video camera. The acoustic imaging algorithm determines in real-time the sound power level coming from all directions, using the phase of the sound signals. A tracking algorithm is then able to follow the sound sources. Additionally, a beamforming algorithm selectively extracts the sound coming from each tracked sound source. This extracted sound signal can be used to identify sound signatures and determine the type of object. The described techniques can detect and track any object that produces noise (engines, propellers, tires, etc). It is a good complementary approach to more traditional techniques such as (i) optical and infrared cameras, for which the object may only represent few pixels and may be hidden by the blooming of a bright background, and (ii) radar or other echo-localization techniques, suffering from the weakness of the echo signal coming back to the sensor. The distance of detection depends on the type (frequency range) and volume of the noise emitted by the object, and on the background noise of the environment. Detection range and resilience to background noise were tested in both, laboratory environments and outdoor conditions. It was determined that drones can be tracked up to 160 to 250 meters, depending on their type. Speech extraction was also experimentally investigated: the speech signal of a person being 80 to 100 meters away can be captured with acceptable speech intelligibility.

In this work we analyse the possibility of measuring sterile neutrino dark matter in direct detection experiments, such as XENON100 and its future stages. In particular we focus on the keV range, studying the interaction of these particles with electrons in bound states.

In this work we analyse the possibility of measuring sterile neutrino dark matter in direct detection experiments, such as XENON100 and its future stages. In particular we focus on the keV range, studying the interaction of these particles with electrons in bound states.

Experiments have been performed to assess the feasibility of crack growth detection in an aircraft lap-joint using acoustic emission (AE). Fatigue tests were conducted in both simple geometry specimens and lap-joint specimens. A high fidelity, wide band transient recording system was used to capture the acoustic emission due to defect growth. The simple specimens were used to determine crack growth signal characteristics, while the complex lap-joint provided a more realistic specimen. Representative waveforms from these two specimens are presented, along with a discussion of wave propagnation for the particular media. A self-organizing map was investigated as a means of automatically identify crack signals. Results and suggestions for future work are presented

Recently, technique of Gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator (Gd-LS) for reactor neutrino oscillation experiments has attracted attention as a monitor of reactor operation and ''nuclear Gain (GA)'' for IAEA safeguards. When the thermal operation power is known, it is, in principle, possible to non-destructively measure the ratio of Pu/U in reactor fuel under operation from the reactor neutrino flux. An experimental program led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories in USA has already demonstrated feasibility of the reactor monitoring by neutrinos at San Onofre Nuclear Power Station, and the Pu monitoring by neutrinodetection is recognized as a candidate of novel technology to detect undeclared operation of reactor. However, further R and D studies of detector design and materials are still necessary to realize compact and mobile detector for practical use of neutrino detector. Considering the neutrino interaction cross-section and compact detector size, the detector must be set at a short distance (a few tens of meters) from reactor core to accumulate enough statistics for monitoring. In addition, although previous reactor neutrino experiments were performed at underground to reduce cosmic ray muon background, feasibility of the measurement at ground level is required for the monitor considering limited access to the reactor site. Therefore, the detector must be designed to be able to reduce external backgrounds extremely without huge shields at ground level, eg. cosmic ray muons and fast neutrons. We constructed a 0.76 ton Gd-LS detector, and carried out a reactor neutrino measurement at the experimental fast reactor JOYO in 2007. The neutrino detector was set up at 24.3m away from the reactor core at the ground level, and we understood the property of the main background; the cosmic-ray induced fast neutron, well. Based on the experience, we are constructing a new detector for the next experiment. The detector is a Gd

The possibility to use a single mode erbium-doped fiber laser as hydrophone for deep sea acousticdetection is considered. The high sensitivity of these sensors, their immunity from electromagnetic fields and their faculty to work at high environmental pressure, make them particularly suitable for a wide range of deep sea acoustic applications, and in particular as acoustic detectors in under-water telescopes for high-energy neutrinos

The possibility to use a single mode erbium-doped fiber laser as hydrophone for deep sea acousticdetection is considered. The high sensitivity of these sensors, their immunity from electromagnetic fields and their faculty to work at high environmental pressure, make them particularly suitable for a wide range of deep sea acoustic applications, and in particular as acoustic detectors in under-water telescopes for high-energy neutrinos.

Air-Cherenkov telescopes have mapped the Galactic plane at TeV energies. Here we evaluate the prospects for detecting the neutrino emission from sources in the Galactic plane assuming that the highest energy photons originate from the decay of pions, which yields a straightforward prediction for the neutrino flux from the decay of the associated production of charged pions. Four promising sources are identified based on having a large flux and a flat spectrum. We subsequently evaluate the probability of their identification above the atmospheric neutrino background in IceCube data as a function of time. We show that observing them over the twenty-year lifetime of the instrumentation is likely, and that some should be observable at the $3\\,\\sigma$ level with six years of data. In the absence of positive results, we derive constraints on the spectral index and cut-off energy of the sources, assuming a hadronic acceleration mechanism.

Experimental efforts to measure neutrinos by radio-frequency (RF) signals resulting from neutrino interactions in-ice have intensified over the last decade. Recent calculations indicate that one may dramatically improve the sensitivity of ultra-high energy ("UHE"; >EeV) neutrino experiments via detection of radio waves trapped along the air-ice surface. Detectors designed to observe the "Askaryan effect" currently search for RF electromagnetic pulses propagating through bulk ice, and could therefore gain sensitivity if signals are confined to the ice-air boundary. To test the feasibilty of this scenario, measurements of the complex radio-frequency properties of several air-dielectric interfaces were performed for a variety of materials. Two-dimensional surfaces of granulated fused silica (sand), both in the lab as well as occurring naturally, water doped with varying concentrations of salt, natural rock salt formations, granulated salt and ice itself were studied, both in North America and also Antarctica. In...

Full Text Available We outline the current situation in ultrahigh energy (UHE cosmic ray physics, pointing out the remaining problems, in particular the puzzle concerning the origin of the primary radiation and the role of neutrino astronomy for locating the sources. Various methods for the detection of UHE neutrinos are briefly described and their merits compared. We give an account of the achievements of the existing optical Cherenkov neutrino telescopes, outline the possibility of using air fluorescence and particle properties of air showers to identify neutrino induced events, and discuss various pioneering experiments employing radio and acousticdetection of extremely energetic neutrinos. The next generation of space, ground and sea based neutrino telescopes now under construction or in the planning phase are listed.

The coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) plays a crucial role at the final evolution of stars. The detection of it would be of importance in astroparticle physics. Among all available neutrino sources, galactic supernovae give the highest neutrino flux in the MeV range. Among all liquid xenon dark matter experiments, XMASS has the largest sensitive volume and light yield. The possibility to detect galactic supernova via the CEvNS-process on xenon nuclei in the current XMASS detector was investigated. The total number of events integrated in about 18 seconds after the explosion of a supernova 10~kpc away from the Earth was expected to be from 3.5 to 21.1, depending on the supernova model used to predict the neutrino flux, while the number of background events in the same time window was measured to be negligible. All lead to very high possibility to detect CEvNS experimentally for the first time utilizing the combination of galactic supernovae and the XMASS detector. In case of a supernova expl...

Acoustic landmine detection (ALD) is a technique for the detection of buried landmines including non-metal mines. Since it gives complementary results with GPR or metal detection, sensor fusion of these techniques with acousticdetection would give promising results. Two methods are used for the aco

The authors discuss the event (5 interactions recorded during 7 seconds) detected in the Mont Blanc Underground Neutrino Observatory (UNO) on February 23, 1987, during the occurrence of supernova SN 1987A. The pulse amplitudes, the background imitation probability, and the energetics connected with the event are reported. It is also shown that some interactions recorded at the same time in other underground experiments, with a lower detection efficiency, are consistent with the Mont Blanc event

In this paper we discuss the event, consisting of 5 interactions recorded during 7 seconds, detected in the Mont Blanc Underground Neutrino Observatory (UNO) on February 23, 1987. The updated pulse amplitudes, and the background imitation probability of the event are reported. It is also shown that some interactions recorded at the same time in other underground experiments, with lower detection efficiency, are consistent with the Mont Blanc event. (orig.)

Lunar Cherenkov experiments aim to detect nanosecond pulses of Cherenkov emission produced during UHE cosmic ray or neutrino interactions in the lunar regolith. Pulses from these interactions are dispersed, and therefore reduced in amplitude, during propagation through the Earth's ionosphere. Pulse dispersion must therefore be corrected to maximise the received signal to noise ratio and subsequent chances of detection. The pulse dispersion characteristic may also provide a powerful signature ...

Thermal Acoustic Oscillations (TAO) can occur in cryogenic systems and produce significant sources of heat. This source of heat can increase the boil off rate of cryogenic propellants in spacecraft storage tanks and reduce mission life. This paper discusses the causes of TAO, how it can be detected, what analyses can be done to predict it, and how to prevent it from occurring.The paper provides practical insight into what can aggravate instability, practical methods for mitigation, and when TAO does not occur. A real life example of a cryogenic system with an unexpected heat source is discussed, along with how TAO was confirmed and eliminated.

Kilometer-scale neutrino detectors such as IceCube are discovery instruments covering nuclear and particle physics, cosmology and astronomy. Examples of their multidisciplinary missions include the search for the particle nature of dark matter and for additional small dimensions of space. In the end, their conceptual design is very much anchored to the observational fact that Nature produces protons and photons with energies in excess of 1020 and 1013 eV, respectively. The cosmic ray connection sets the scale of cosmic neutrino fluxes. In this context, we discuss the first results of the completed AMANDA detector and the science reach of its extension, IceCube. Similar experiments are under construction in the Mediterranean. Neutrino astronomy is also expanding in new directions with efforts to detect air showers, acoustic and radio signals initiated by super-EeV neutrinos. The outline of these lectures is as follows: Introduction Cosmic Neutrinos Associated with the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays Why Kilometer-Scale Detectors? Blueprints of Cosmic Accelerators: Gamma Ray Bursts and Active Galaxies High Energy Neutrino Telescopes: Methodologies of NeutrinoDetection High Energy Neutrino Telescopes: Status

There are a number of theoretical predictions for astrophysical and cosmological objects, which emit high frequency ($10^6-10^9$~Hz) Gravitation Waves (GW) or contribute somehow to the stochastic high frequency GW background. Here we propose a new sensitive detector in this frequency band, which is based on existing cryogenic ultra-high quality factor quartz Bulk Acoustic Wave cavity technology, coupled to near-quantum-limited SQUID amplifiers at $20$~mK. We show that spectral strain sensitivities reaching $10^{-22}$ per $\\sqrt{\\text{Hz}}$ per mode is possible, which in principle can cover the frequency range with multiple ($>100$) modes with quality factors varying between $10^6-10^{10}$ allowing wide bandwidth detection. Due to its compactness and well established manufacturing process, the system is easily scalable into arrays and distributed networks that can also impact the overall sensitivity and introduce coincidence analysis to ensure no false detections.

This talk summarizes the main physics goals and basic methods of telescopes for high energy neutrinos. It reviews the present status of deep underwater telescopes and sketches the ICECUBE project as an example for a cube kilometer detector. It is suggested to develop techniques for radio and acousticdetection hand in hand with big optical arrays. These large arrays should be complemented by medium-size detectors in the Megaton range.

Neutrino telescopes with large detection volumes can demonstrate that the current indications of neutrino oscillation are correct or if a better description can be achieved with non-standard alternatives. Observations of contained muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos can better constrain the allowed region for oscillations or determine the relevant parameters of non-standard models. We analyze the possibility of neutrino telescopes measuring atmospheric neutrino oscillations. We suggest ad...

A new two-phase cryogenic neutrino detector using electron bubble (e-bubble) specifically in liquid helium is proposed and being developed for real time, high rate measurements of low-energy p-p reaction neutrinos from the sun. The e-bubble detector is a time projection chamber-like (TPC) tracking detector. The task of such a neutrino detector is to detect the ionization of the elastically scattered target electrons by incident neutrinos, and then to characterize their energy and direction and to distinguish them from radioactive backgrounds. The ionization signals are expected to be small and hence undergo avalanche amplification in the saturated vapor above the liquid phase by gas electron multipliers (GEMs) at high gain. Higher granularity and intrinsically suppressed ion feedback give a good spatial resolution and are the major advantages of this technology. It should be possible to construct such a detector to track charged particles down to 100―200 keV in a massive liquid helium target with fractional millimeter spatial resolution in three-dimensional space, using the GEM-based TPC with a high-resolution CCD camera, for both the electronic and light readout.

The Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB) provides an immediate opportunity to study the emission of MeV thermal neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae. The DSNB is a powerful probe of stellar and neutrino physics, provided that the core-collapse rate is large enough and that its uncertainty is small enough. To assess the important physics enabled by the DSNB, we start with the cosmic star formation history (CSFH) of Hopkins & Beacom (2006) and confirm its normalization and evolution by cross-checks with the supernova rate, extragalactic background light, and stellar mass density. We find a sufficient core-collapse rate with small uncertainties that translate into a variation of +/- 40% in the DSNB event spectrum. Considering thermal neutrino spectra with effective temperatures between 4--6 MeV, the predicted DSNB is within a factor 4--2 below the upper limit obtained by Super-Kamiokande in 2003. Furthermore, detection prospects would be dramatically improved with a gadolinium-enhanced Super-Kamio...

It is widely believed that charm meson production and decay may play an important role in high energy astrophysical sources of neutrinos, especially those that are baryon-rich, providing an environment conducive to pp interactions. Using slow-jet supernovae (SJS) as an example of such a source, we study the detectability of high-energy neutrinos, paying particular attention to those produced from charmed-mesons. We highlight important distinguishing features in the ultra-high energy neutrino flux which would act as markers for the role of charm in the source. In particular, charm leads to significant event rates at higher energies, after the conventional (pi, K) neutrino fluxes fall off. We calculate event rates both for a nearby single source and for diffuse SJS fluxes for an IceCube-like detector. By comparing muon event rates for the conventional and prompt fluxes in different energy bins, we demonstrate the striking energy dependence in the rates induced by the presence of charm. We also show that it lead...

The DONUT experiment used an emulsion/counter-hybrid-detector, which succeeded in detecting tau-neutrino charged-current interactions. A new method of emulsion analysis, NETSCAN, was used to locate neutrino events and detect tau decays. It is based on a fully automated emulsion readout system (Ultra Track Selector) developed at Nagoya University. The achieved plate-to-plate alignment accuracy of ∼0.2 μm over an area of 2.6 mmx2.6 mm permitted an efficient and systematic tau decay search using emulsion data. Moreover, this accuracy allowed measurement of particle momenta by multiple Coulomb scattering, and contributed to the efficient background rejection for the ντ candidates. This paper describes details of our emulsion analysis methods

The main signature for anti-neutrinodetection in reactor and geo-neutrino experiments based on scintillators is provided by the space-time coincidence of positron and neutron produced in the Inverse Beta Decay reaction. Such a signature strongly suppresses backgrounds and allows for measurements performed underground with a relatively high signal-to-background ratio. In an aboveground environment, however, the twofold coincidence technique is not sufficient to efficiently reject the high background rate induced by cosmogenic events. Enhancing the positron-neutron twofold coincidence efficiency has the potential to pave the way future aboveground detectors for reactor monitoring. We propose a new detection scheme based on a threefold coincidence, between the positron ionization, the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) decay, and the neutron capture, in a sandwich detector with alternated layers of plastic scintillator and aerogel powder. We present the results of a set of dedicated measurements on the achievable light y...

This report documents the initial feasibility tests performed using a commercial acoustic emission instrument for the purpose of detecting beetles in Department of Energy 9975 shipping packages. The device selected for this testing was a commercial handheld instrument and probe developed for the detection of termites, weevils, beetles and other insect infestations in wooden structures, trees, plants and soil. The results of two rounds of testing are presented. The first tests were performed by the vendor using only the hand-held instrument’s indications and real-time operator analysis of the audio signal content. The second tests included hands-free positioning of the instrument probe and post-collection analysis of the recorded audio signal content including audio background comparisons. The test results indicate that the system is promising for detecting the presence of drugstore beetles, however, additional work would be needed to improve the ease of detection and to automate the signal processing to eliminate the need for human interpretation. Mechanisms for hands-free positioning of the probe and audio background discrimination are also necessary for reliable detection and to reduce potential operator dose in radiation environments.

We studied the potential of the proposed ANTARES undersea neutrino telescope to detect muons coming from from neutralinos annihilating at the center of the Earth. First results show that the full 1 km3-scale detector can indicate, after a few years of operation, if there are indeed neutralinos trapped at the core of celestial bodies, as expected are the major form of dark matter in our galaxy. (author)

We propose a new method to identify flavors of ultra high energy cosmic neutrinos. Energy loss of leptons in matter provides important information for the detection of neutrinos originated from high energy astrophysical sources. About 50 years ago, Askaryan proposed to detect Cherenkov signals by radio wave from the negative charge excess of particle showers. The theory of Cherenkov pulses with Fraunhofer approximation was widely studied in the past two decades. However, at high energies or for high density materials, electromagnetic shower should be elongated due to the Landau–Pomeranchuck–Migdal (LPM) effect. As such the standard Fraunhofer approximation ceases to be valid when the distance between the shower and the detector becomes comparable with the shower length. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations recently to investigate this regime based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, and modified time domain integration method. In this work, we adopt the deduced relationship between the radio signal and the cascade development profile to investigate its implication to lepton signatures. Our method provides a straightforward technique to identify the neutrino flavor through the detected Cherenkov signals.

We propose a new method to identify flavors of ultra high energy cosmic neutrinos. Energy loss of leptons in matter provides important informations for the detection of neutrinos originated from high energy astrophysical sources. 50 years ago, Askaryan proposed to detect Cherenkov signals by radio wave from the negative charge excess of particle showers. The theory of Cherenkov pulses with Fraunhofer approximation was widely studied in the past two decades. However, at high energies or for high density materials, electromagnetic shower should be elongated due to the Landau-Pomeranchuck-Migdal (LPM) effect. As such the standard Fraunhofer approximation ceases to be valid when the distance between the shower and the detector becomes comparable with the shower length. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations recently to investigate this regime based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, and modified time domain integration method. In this work, we adopt the deduced relationship between the radio signal and the cascade development profile to investigate its implication to lepton signatures. Our method provides a straightforward technique to identify the neutrino flavor through the detected Cherenkov signals.

The ultra high energy cosmic neutrinos are powerful astrophysical probes for both astrophysical mechanisms of particle acceleration and fundamental interactions. They open a window into the very distant and high-energy Universe that is difficult to access by any human means and devices. The possibility of detecting them in large exposure space-based apparatus, like JEM-EUSO, is an experimental challenge. In this paper we present an estimation of the feasibility of detection of UHE tau neutrino by the JEM-EUSO telescope. The interactions of tau-neutrino in sea water and Earth's crust have been investigated. The estimation of the propagation length and energy of the outgoing tau-lepton shows that if its decay occurs in the atmosphere close enough to the Earth's surface, e.g. below $\\sim$ $5 km$ altitude, the cascade is intensive enough and the generated light can be detected from space. We have evaluated the geometrical aperture of the JEM-EUSO detector for the Earth-skimming (horizontal and upward-going) tau-n...

Neutrinos are fundamental particles ubiquitous in the Universe and whose properties remain elusive despite more than 50 years of intense research activity. This review illustrates the importance of solar neutrinos in astrophysics, nuclear physics and particle physics. After a description of the historical context, we remind the reader of the noticeable properties of these particles and of the stakes of the solar neutrino puzzle. The standard solar model triggered persistent efforts in fundamental physics to predict the solar neutrino fluxes, and its constantly evolving predictions have been regularly compared with the detectedneutrino signals. Anticipating that this standard model could not reproduce the internal solar dynamics, a seismic solar model was developed which enriched theoretical neutrino flux predictions with in situ observation of acoustic and gravity waves propagating in the Sun. This seismic model contributed to the stabilization of the neutrino flux predictions. This review recalls the main historical steps, from the pioneering Homestake mine experiment and the GALLEX-SAGE experiments capturing the first proton-proton neutrinos. It emphasizes the importance of the SuperKamiokande and SNO detectors. Both experiments demonstrated that the solar-emitted electron neutrinos are partially transformed into other neutrino flavors before reaching the Earth. This sustained experimental effort opens the door to neutrino astronomy, with long-base lines and underground detectors. The success of BOREXINO in detecting the 7Be neutrino signal alone instills confidence in physicists' ability to detect each neutrino source separately. It justifies the building of a new generation of detectors to measure the entire solar neutrino spectrum in greater detail, as well as supernova neutrinos. A coherent picture has emerged from neutrino physics and helioseismology. Today, new paradigms take shape in these two fields: neutrinos are massive particles, but their masses are

deficit is taken very seriously, and has led to ideas of neutrino oscillations, and oscillation resonances. If the different neutrino varieties - electron, muon and tau - have a mass, then they can oscillate between themselves. A neutrino beam starting off as pure muon-type, for example, would change its composition as it went along. Setting limits on this behaviour is an important objective in neutrino experiments, with 'long baseline' studies - beams covering a long distance between source and detector, playing a vital role. Lincoln Wolfenstein, one of the architects of the new neutrino oscillation scenarios, says 'it is still not clear whether neutrinos have masses or not'. Laboratory experiments try to measure these masses, but so far only upper Unfits have been established. These studies are beginning to reach the limit of their sensitivity and are unlikely to improve drastically. 'But there is indirect evidence,' says Wolfenstein, 'that neutrinos are much lighter.' The solar neutrino problem is really to solar neutrino opportunity,' he continues. Future experiments with gallium and other new neutrinodetection techniques, coupled with new high energy neutrino studies, will answer the question

The West Virginia University natural gas transmission line leak detection research is only considering using readily available 1/2 inch pipeline access ports for the detection of leak generated signals. The main problem with leak signals is the low signal to noise ratio. One of the acoustic signals associated with gas escaping through a leak is only temporary and is in the form of a rarefaction wave originating when the leak is formed. Due to pipeline friction, over distance such a step function transitions to a ramp function. The ability to identify a leak by pipeline monitoring and signal processing depends a great deal on the quality and signal to noise ratio of the characteristics of the detectors used. Combinations of sensing devices are being used for the WVU sensor package and are contained in a removable sensor housing. The four sensors currently installed are a 1/2 inch 3 Hz-40 Khz microphone, an audible range moving coil sensor, a piezo-electric pressure transducer, and the WVU designed floating 3 inch diameter diaphragm to detect flow transient induced pressure ramp type signals. The WVU diaphragm sensor, which is currently under development, uses the same diaphragm principle as a high quality capacitance type microphone, but utilizes aerodynamic signal amplification. This type of amplification only amplifies the ramp-signal itself, not the random pipeline noise.

In this paper we present a study of the interaction of low energy electron antineutrino on nuclei that undergo electron capture. We show that the two corresponding crossed reactions have a sizeable cross section and are both suitable for detection of low energy antineutrino. However, only in case very specific conditions on the Q-value of the decay are met or significant improvements on the performances of ion storage rings are achieved, these reactions could be exploited in the future to address the long standing problem of a direct detection of Cosmological Neutrino Background.

Cavitation phenomena are known for their destructive capacity in hydraulic machineries and are caused by the pressure decrease followed by an implosion when the cavitation bubbles find an adverse pressure gradient. A helical vortex appears in the turbine diffuser cone at partial flow rate operation and can be cavitating in its core. Cavity volumes and vortex frequencies vary with the under-pressure level. If the vortex frequency comes close to one of the eigen frequencies of the turbine, a resonance phenomenon may occur, the unsteady fluctuations can be amplified and lead to important turbine and hydraulic circuit damage. Conventional cavitation vortex detection techniques are based on passive devices (pressure sensors or accelerometers). Limited sensor bandwidths and low frequency response limit the vortex detection and characterization information provided by the passive techniques. In order to go beyond these techniques and develop a new active one that will remove these drawbacks, previous work in the field has shown that techniques based on acoustic signals using adapted signal content to a particular hydraulic situation, can be more robust and accurate. The cavitation vortex effects in the water flow profile downstream hydraulic turbines runner are responsible for signal content modifications. Basic signal techniques use narrow band signals traveling inside the flow from an emitting transducer to a receiving one (active sensors). Emissions of wide band signals in the flow during the apparition and development of the vortex embeds changes in the received signals. Signal processing methods are used to estimate the cavitation apparition and evolution. Tests done in a reduced scale facility showed that due to the increasing flow rate, the signal -- vortex interaction is seen as modifications on the received signal's high order statistics and bandwidth. Wide band acoustic transducers have a higher dynamic range over mechanical elements; the system

Real time monitoring of Pressurized Water nuclear Reactor secondary coolant system tends to integrate digital processing machines. In this context, the method of acoustic emission seems to exhibit good performances. Its principle is based on passive listening of noises emitted by local micro-displacements inside a material under stress which propagate as elastic waves. The lack of a priori knowledge on leak signals leads us to go deeper into understanding flow induced noise generation. Our studies are conducted using a simple leak model depending on the geometry and the king of flow inside the slit. Detection and localization problems are formulated according to the maximum likelihood principle. For detection, the methods using a indicator of similarity (correlation, higher order correlation) seems to give better results than classical ones (rms value, envelope, filter banks). For leaks location, a large panel of classical (generalized inter-correlation) and innovative (convolution, adaptative, higher order statistics) methods of time delay estimation are presented. The last part deals with the applications of higher order statistics. The analysis of higher order estimators of a non linear non Gaussian stochastic process family, the improvement of non linear prediction performances and the optimal-order choice problem are addressed in simple analytic cases. At last, possible applications to leak signals analysis are pointed out. (authors).264 refs., 7 annexes

Facing climate change, the use of renewable energy gains importance. The wind energy sector grows very fast. Bigger and more powerful wind turbines will be built in the coming decades and the safety and reliability of the turbines will become more important. Wind turbine blades have to be inspected at regular intervals, because they are highly stressed during operation and a blade breakdown can cause big economic damages. The turbine blades consist of fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP/CFRP) and sandwich areas containing wood or plastic foam. The blades are manufactured as two halves and glued together afterwards. Typical damages are delaminations within the GFRP or the sandwich and missing adhesive or deficient bond at the bonding surfaces. The regular inspections of wind turbine blades are performed manually by experts and are limited to visual appraisals and simple tapping tests. To improve the inspections of wind turbine blades non-destructive testing techniques using acoustic waves are being developed. To detect delaminations within the laminates of the turbine blade, a local resonance spectroscopy was used. To detect missing bond areas from the outside of the blade the impulse-echo-technique was applied. This paper is an updated reprint of an article published on ndt.net in 2008. (author)

Facing climate change, the use of renewable energy gains importance. The wind energy sector grows very fast. Bigger and more powerful wind turbines will be built in the coming decades and the safety and reliability of the turbines will become more important. Wind turbine blades have to be inspected at regular intervals, because they are highly stressed during operation and a blade breakdown can cause big economic damages. The turbine blades consist of fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP/CFRP) and sandwich areas containing wood or plastic foam. The blades are manufactured as two halves and glued together afterwards. Typical damages are delaminations within the GFRP or the sandwich and missing adhesive or deficient bond at the bonding surfaces. The regular inspections of wind turbine blades are performed manually by experts and are limited to visual appraisals and simple tapping tests. To improve the inspections of wind turbine blades non-destructive testing techniques using acoustic waves are being developed. To detect delaminations within the laminates of the turbine blade, a local resonance spectroscopy was used. To detect missing bond areas from the outside of the blade the impulse-echo-technique was applied. This paper is an updated reprint of an article published on ndt.net in 2008. (author)

A large volume of fast reactor research has been executed in Russia, Japan, France, India and the United Kingdom. At present, an unique fast reactor named BN- 600 is operating in Russia. Also, the operation of research reactors such as Phenix (France), JOYO (Japan), BOR-60 (Russia) and FBTR (India) proceeds. The last project to be completed was the reactor Monju (Japan) which is now stopped. In addition activities for the development of fast reactors are being conducted in China, India, and South Korea. Fast reactors are a choice for the subsequent nuclear power generation in Korea, and their increased safety is one of the basic requirements. The basis for a tightening of the requirements on safety is the emergencies in NPPs in Russia, USA, France, Japan and other countries. These emergencies testify that the existing monitoring systems do not fully provide a well-timed detection of the distresses arising in a NPP, because of a poor sensitivity and response, thus the necessity for a better diagnostic system is obvious. In accordance with the USA GNEP initiative in Obninsk, Russia, 2007 the main efforts should be directed toward a sodium-water steam generator safety increase due to improvement of the hydrogen monitoring system and the acoustic leak detection system

Sonar watermarking is the practice of embedding low-power, secure digital signatures in the time frequency space of a waveform. The algorithm is designed for a single source/receiver configuration. However, in a multiuser environment, multiple sources broadcast sonar waveforms that overlap in both time and frequency. The receiver can be configured as a filter bank where each bank is dedicated to detecting a specific watermark. However, a filter bank is prone to mutual interference as multiple sonar waveforms are simultaneously present at the detector input. To mitigate mutual interference, a multiuser watermark detector is formulated as a decorrelating detector that decouples detection amongst the watermark signatures. The acoustic channel is simulated in software and modeled by an FIR filter. This model is used to compensate for the degradation of spreading sequences used for watermark embedding. The test statistic generated at the output of the decorrelating detector is used in a joint maximum likelihood ratio detector to establish the presence or absence of the watermark in each sonar waveform. ROC curves are produced for multiple sources positioned at varying ranges subject to ambient ocean noise controlled by varying sea states.

The IceCube neutrino observatory pursues a follow-up program selecting interesting neutrino events in real-time and issuing alerts for electromagnetic follow-up observations. In March 2012, the most significant neutrino alert during the first three years of operation was issued by IceCube. In the follow-up observations performed by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), a Type IIn supernova (SN) PTF12csy was found $0.2^\\circ$ away from the neutrino alert direction, with an error radius of $0.54^\\circ$. It has a redshift of $z=0.0684$, corresponding to a luminosity distance of about $300 \\, \\mathrm{Mpc}$ and the Pan-STARRS1 survey shows that its explosion time was at least 158 days (in host galaxy rest frame) before the neutrino alert, so that a causal connection is unlikely. The a posteriori significance of the chance detection of both the neutrinos and the SN at any epoch is $2.2 \\, \\sigma$ within IceCube's 2011/12 data acquisition season. Also, a complementary neutrino analysis reveals no long-term signal ove...

An aerostat based acoustic array data collection system was deployed at the NATO TG-53 "AcousticDetection of Weapon Firing" Joint Field Experiment conducted in Bourges, France during the final two weeks of June 2008. A variety of impulsive sources including mortar, artillery, gunfire, RPG, and explosive devices were fired during the test. Results from the aerostat acoustic array will be presented against the entire range of sources.

For the purpose of developing a new highly-sensitive and reliable fiber optical acoustic sensor capable of real-time on-line detection of acoustic emissions in power transformers, this dissertation presents the comprehensive research work on the theory, modeling, design, instrumentation, noise analysis, and performance evaluation of a diaphragm-based optical fiber acoustic (DOFIA) sensor system. The optical interference theory and the diaphragm dynamic vibration analysis form the two fou...

We have determined the dispersion relation of a neutrino test particle propagating in the cosmic neutrino background. Describing the relic neutrinos and antineutrinos from the hot big bang as a dense medium, a matter potential or refractive index is obtained. The vacuum neutrino mixing angles are unchanged, but the energy of each mass state is modified. Using a matrix in the space of neutrino species, the induced potential is decomposed into a part which produces signatures in beta-decay experiments and another part which modifies neutrino oscillations. The low temperature of the relic neutrinos makes a direct detection extremely challenging. From a different point of view, the identified refractive effects of the cosmic neutrino background constitute an ultralow background for future experimental studies of nonvanishing Lorentz violation in the neutrino sector.

We have determined the dispersion relation of a neutrino test particle propagating in the cosmic neutrino background. Describing the relic neutrinos and antineutrinos from the hot big bang as a dense medium, a matter potential or refractive index is obtained. The vacuum neutrino mixing angles are unchanged, but the energy of each mass state is modified. Using a matrix in the space of neutrino species, the induced potential is decomposed into a part which produces signatures in beta-decay experiments and another part which modifies neutrino oscillations. The low temperature of the relic neutrinos makes a direct detection extremely challenging. From a different point of view, the identified refractive effects of the cosmic neutrino background constitute an ultralow background for future experimental studies of nonvanishing Lorentz violation in the neutrino sector.

There exist several kinds of sources emitting neutrinos in the MeV energy range. These low-energy neutrinos from different sources can be often detected by the same multipurpose detectors. The status-of-art of the feld of solar neutrinos, geoneutrinos, and the search for sterile neutrino with artifcial neutrino sources is provided here; other neutrino sources, as for example reactor or high-energy neutrinos, are described elsewhere. For each of these three felds, the present-day motivation an...

The coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, was accidentally introduced into Guam last year and now threatens the Island’s forests and tourist industry. These large insects can be detected easily with acoustic sensors, and procedures are being developed to incorporate acoustic technology int...

The detection of low energy neutrinos ($$ 1 kg) are not sensitive to sub-keV nuclear recoils like those expected from this channel. The advent of Micropattern Gas Detectors (MPGDs), new technologies originally intended for use in High Energy Physics, may soon put an end to this impasse. We present first tests of MPGDs fabricated with radioclean materials and discuss the approach to assessing their sensitivity to these faint signals. Applications are reviewed, in particular their use as a safeguard against illegitimate operation of nuclear reactors. A first industrial mass production of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) is succinctly described.

A new acoustic steam generator leak detection system using delay-and-sum beamformer is proposed. The major advantage of the delay-and-sum beamformer is it could provide information of acoustic source direction. An acoustic source of a sodium-water reaction is supposed to be localized while the background noise of the steam generator operation is uniformly distributed in the steam generator tube region. Therefore the delay-and-sum beamformer could distinguish the acoustic source of the sodium-water reaction from steam generator background noise. In this paper, results from numerical analyses are provided to show fundamental feasibility of the new method. (author)

The potential and the feasibility of acoustic boiling detection systems in LMFBRs are mainly determined by the four following items: The availability of radiation and temperature resistant acoustic transducers; Kind and intensity of the noise source; The acoustic transfer behaviour of the core structure and the coolant; The acoustic background noise. Although these four elements are more or less present in any practical case, this differentiation is useful for several reasons. It helps to analyse the .problem, to define appropriate theoretical and experimental investigations, and finally to synthesize the single results to an overall judgement. This paper reviews the German (KfK and Interatom) activities in the four areas

Acoustic data recorded at 1000 samples per second by two sensor arrays located at ranges of 1-113 km from three tornadoes that occurred on 24 May 2011 in Oklahoma are analyzed. Accurate bearings to the tornadoes have been obtained using beamforming methods applied to the data at infrasonic frequencies. Beamforming was not viable at audio frequencies, but the data demonstrate the ability to detect significant changes in the shape of the estimated power spectral density in the band encompassing 10 Hz to approximately 100 Hz at distances of practical value from the sensors. This suggests that arrays of more closely spaced sensors might provide better bearing accuracy at practically useful distances from a tornado. Additionally, a mathematical model, based on established relationships of aeroacoustic turbulence, is demonstrated to provide good agreement to the estimated power spectra produced by the tornadoes at different times and distances from the sensors. The results of this analysis indicate that, qualitatively, an inverse relationship appears to exist between the frequency of an observed peak of the power spectral density and the reported tornado intensity. PMID:25234974

The main signature for anti-neutrinodetection in reactor and geo-neutrino experiments based on scintillators is provided by the space–time coincidence of positron and neutron produced in the Inverse Beta Decay reaction. Such a signature strongly suppresses backgrounds and allows for measurements performed underground with a relatively high signal-to-background ratio. In an aboveground environment, however, the twofold coincidence technique is not sufficient to efficiently reject the high background rate induced by cosmogenic events. Enhancing the positron–neutron twofold coincidence efficiency may pave the way to future aboveground detectors for reactor monitoring. We propose a new detection scheme based on a threefold coincidence, among the positron ionization, the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) decay, and the neutron capture, in a sandwich detector with alternated layers of plastic scintillator and aerogel powder. We present the results of a set of dedicated measurements on the achievable light yield and on the o-Ps formation and lifetime. The efficiencies for signal detection and background rejection of a preliminary detector design are also discussed.

The main signature for anti-neutrinodetection in reactor and geo-neutrino experiments based on scintillators is provided by the space–time coincidence of positron and neutron produced in the Inverse Beta Decay reaction. Such a signature strongly suppresses backgrounds and allows for measurements performed underground with a relatively high signal-to-background ratio. In an aboveground environment, however, the twofold coincidence technique is not sufficient to efficiently reject the high background rate induced by cosmogenic events. Enhancing the positron–neutron twofold coincidence efficiency may pave the way to future aboveground detectors for reactor monitoring. We propose a new detection scheme based on a threefold coincidence, among the positron ionization, the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) decay, and the neutron capture, in a sandwich detector with alternated layers of plastic scintillator and aerogel powder. We present the results of a set of dedicated measurements on the achievable light yield and on the o-Ps formation and lifetime. The efficiencies for signal detection and background rejection of a preliminary detector design are also discussed

In this article the feasibility of using charge coupled devices (CCD) to detect low-energy neutrinos through their coherent scattering with nuclei is analyzed. The detection of neutrinos through this standard model process has been elusive because of the small energy deposited in such interaction. Typical particle detectors have thresholds of a few keV, and most of the energy deposition expected from coherent scattering is well below this level. The CCD detectors discussed in this paper can operate at a threshold of approximately 30 eV, making them ideal for observing this signal. On a CCD array of 500 g located next to a power nuclear reactor the number of coherent scattering events expected is about 3000 events/year. Our results shows that a detection with a confidence level of 99% can be reached within 16 days of continuous operation; with the current 52 g detector prototype this time lapse extends to five months.

The 2002 year has been fruitful for the neutrino physics. First, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment has shown that the electron neutrinos nu sub e emitted by the sun are converted into muon neutrinos (nu submu) and tau neutrinos (nu subtau), thus closing the 30 years old problem of solar neutrinos deficit. This discovery validates the model of nuclear energy production inside the sun but it shakes the theory describing the weak interactions between the fundamental constituents of matter. This theory considers the neutrinos (and the photons) as massless particles, while the taste conversion phenomenon necessarily implies that neutrinos have a mass. In October 2000, the Universe exploration by the cosmic neutrinos is jointly recognized by R. Davis (USA) and M. Koshiba (Japan) who received the Nobel price of physics. Finally, in December 2000, the KamLAND experiment quantitatively demonstrated the neutrinos metamorphosis by detecting a deficit in the flux of electron antineutrinos coming from the ...

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purpose underground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy as a primary physics goal. It is also capable of observing neutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, including supernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, solar neutrinos, as well as exotic searches such as nucleon decays, dark matter, sterile neutrinos, etc. We present the physics motivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for various proposed measurements. By detecting reactor antineutrinos from two power plants at 53-km distance, JUNO will determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at a 3-4 sigma significance with six years of running. The measurement of antineutrino spectrum will also lead to the precise determination of three out of the six oscillation parameters to an accuracy of better than 1\\%. Neutrino burst from a typical cor...

The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) has been deployed to study the feasibility of acousticneutrinodetection in Antarctic ice around the South Pole. An array of four strings equipped with acoustic receivers and transmitters, permanently installed in the upper 500 m of boreholes drilled for the IceCube neutrino observatory, and a retrievable transmitter that can be used in the water filled holes before the installation of the IceCube optical strings are used to measure the ice acoustic properties. These include the sound speed and its depth dependence, the attenuation length, the noise level, and the rate and nature of transient background sources in the relevant frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 kHz. SPATS is operating successfully since January 2007 and has been able to either measure or constrain all parameters. We present the latest results of SPATS and discuss their implications for future acousticneutrinodetection activities in Antarctica.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the up-to-date findings related to ultrafast shear acoustic waves. Recent progress obtained for the laser generation and detection of picosecond shear acoustic waves in solids and liquids is reviewed. Examples in which the transverse isotropic symmetry of the sample structure is broken in order to permit shear acoustic wave generation through sudden laser heating are described in detail. Alternative photo-induced mechanisms for ultrafast shear acoustic generation in metals, semiconductors, insulators, magnetostrictive, piezoelectric and electrostrictive materials are reviewed as well. With reference to key experiments, an all-optical technique employed to probe longitudinal and shear structural dynamics in the GHz frequency range in ultra-thin liquid films is described. This technique, based on specific ultrafast shear acoustic transducers, has opened new perspectives that will be discussed for ultrafast shear acoustic probing of viscoelastic liquids at the nanometer scale.

Lunar Cherenkov experiments aim to detect nanosecond pulses of Cherenkov emission produced during UHE cosmic ray or neutrino interactions in the lunar regolith. Pulses from these interactions are dispersed, and therefore reduced in amplitude, during propagation through the Earth's ionosphere. Pulse dispersion must therefore be corrected to maximise the received signal to noise ratio and subsequent chances of detection. The pulse dispersion characteristic may also provide a powerful signature to determine the lunar origin of a pulse and discriminate against pulses of terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI). This characteristic is parameterised by the instantaneous Total Electron Content (TEC) of the ionosphere and therefore an accurate knowledge of the ionospheric TEC provides an experimental advantage for the detection and identification of lunar Cherenkov pulses. We present a new method to calibrate the dispersive effect of the ionosphere on lunar Cherenkov pulses using lunar Faraday rotation measurem...

One of the major goals in the experimental study of deep earthquakes is to identify slip instabilities at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) that might be responsible for the occurrence of earthquakes. Detectingacoustic emissions from a specimen during faulting provides unique constraints on the instability process. There are few experimental studies reporting acoustic emissions under HPHT conditions, due to technical challenges. And those studies have used only one or at most two acoustic sensors during the experiments. Such techniques preclude the accurate location of the acoustic emission source region and thus the ability to distinguish real signal from noise that may be coming from outside the sample. We have developed a system for detectingacoustic emissions at HPHT. Here we present a four-channel acoustic emission detecting system working in the HPHT octahedral multianvil apparatus. Each channel has high resolution (12 bits) and a sampling rate of 30 MHz. In experiments at the pressures up to 6 GPa and temperatures up to 770 deg. C, we have observed acoustic emissions under various conditions. Analyzing these signals, we are able to show that this system permits us to distinguish between signal and noise, locate the source of the acoustic emission, and obtain reliable data on the radiation pattern. This system has greatly improved our ability to study faulting instabilities under high pressure and high temperature

Oceanic low frequency sound generated by submarine earthquake travels much faster than tsunamis and leaves pressure signatures that can act as tsunami precursors. In this regard, it is anticipated that the correct measurement and analysis of low frequency acoustics would enhance current early tsunami detection systems. In this work we model the low frequency acoustics generated by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake using the "Method of Normal Modes" and the "Acoustics-Gravity Wave" theory. Ocean acoustic theories usually neglect the effect of gravity. However, we show for rigid and elastic bottom conditions how gravity influences the acoustic normal mode propagation speed. Practically, our results can help in the real time characterization of low frequency sources in the ocean. This will enhance the robustness of early tsunami detection systems.

Episodes of apnea in sedated patients represent a risk of respiratory compromise. We hypothesized that acoustic monitoring would be equivalent to capnography for detection of respiratory pauses, with fewer false alarms. In addition, we hypothesized that the patient state index (PSI) would be correlated with the frequency of respiratory pauses and therefore could provide information about the risk of apnea during sedation. Patients undergoing sedation for surgical procedures were monitored for respiration rate using acoustic monitoring and capnography and for depth of sedation using the PSI. A clinician blinded to the acoustic and sedation monitor observed the capnograph and patient to assess sedation and episodes of apnea. Another clinician retrospectively reviewed the capnography and acoustic waveform and sound files to identify true positive and false positive respiratory pauses by each method (reference method). Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio for detection of respiratory pause was calculated for acoustic monitoring and capnography. The correlation of PSI with respiratory pause events was determined. For the 51 respiratory pauses validated by retrospective analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio positive for detection were 16, 96 %, and 3.5 for clinician observation; 88, 7 %, and 1.0 for capnography; and 55, 87 %, and 4.1 for acoustic monitoring. There was no correlation between PSI and respiratory pause events. Acoustic monitoring had the highest likelihood ratio positive for detection of respiratory pause events compared with capnography and clinician observation and, therefore, may provide the best method for respiration rate monitoring during these procedures. PMID:24420342

The HELLAZ project is dedicated to the measurement of low energy solar neutrinos, this neutrinodetection is based on the measurement of the characteristics of all the ionization electrons produced by the recoil of the electron with which the solar neutrino has collided. The detector is made of a tank full of gaseous helium whose conditions of temperature and pressure (77 K and 5 bar) are important to assure a sufficient statistic. 11 events a day are expected to be detected. In this work we present the preliminary results obtained on the first prototype (HELLAZ0) that has allowed us to test 2 types of chambers: multiwire proportional chamber (MWPC) and a micro gas chamber combined to a gas electron multiplier (MGC+GEM). A new prototype (HELLAZ1) has been designed, its aim is to measure an elementary track of only 2 ionization electrons and to test 2 new chambers: micro gas wire chamber (MGWC) and Micromegas. The first chapter deals with the sun, solar neutrinos, and the neutrino characteristics that are expected from the sun standard model. The second chapter is dedicated to the various experiments of solar neutrinodetection and to their experimental result disagreement. The HELLAZ project is described in the third chapter. The fourth chapter presents the different experimental constraints, particularly the processing of the background noise and the counting of each electron of the ionization cloud. In the last chapter HELLAZ0 and HELLAZ1 projects are described and we show that microstructure-type chambers are the best suitable for this kind of detection. (A.C.)

The universe has been studied using light since the dawn of astronomy, when starlight captured the human eye. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory views the universe in a different and unique way: in high-energy neutrinos. IceCube's recent discovery of a diffuse flux of astrophysical neutrinos, in other words, the universe glowing in neutrinos from beyond the solar system, started a new era of neutrino astronomy. I will motivate why neutrinos are a necessary messenger in high-energy astronomy. I will discuss the multiple diffuse flux analyses in IceCube that observe the astrophysical flux, and what each can tell us. Spatial analyses that aim to identify the sources of such astrophysical neutrinos will also be discussed, followed by an attempt to reconcile all results, to draw a coherent picture that is the state of neutrino astronomy.

Passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammal calls is an increasingly important method for assessing population numbers, distribution, and behavior. A common mistake in the analysis of marine mammal acoustic data is formulating conclusions about these animals without first understanding how environmental properties such as bathymetry, sediment properties, water column sound speed, and ocean acoustic noise influence the detection and character of vocalizations in the acoustic data. The approach in this paper is to use Monte Carlo simulations with a full wave field acoustic propagation model to characterize the site specific probability of detection of six types of humpback whale calls at three passive acoustic monitoring locations off the California coast. Results show that the probability of detection can vary by factors greater than ten when comparing detections across locations, or comparing detections at the same location over time, due to environmental effects. Effects of uncertainties in the inputs to the propagation model are also quantified, and the model accuracy is assessed by comparing calling statistics amassed from 24,690 humpback units recorded in the month of October 2008. Under certain conditions, the probability of detection can be estimated with uncertainties sufficiently small to allow for accurate density estimates. PMID:23968053

This report presents the results of a study to evaluate the adequacy of leak detection systems in light water reactors. The sources of numerous reported leaks and methods of detection have been documented. Research to advance the state of the art of acoustic leak detection is presented, and procedures for implementation are discussed. 14 refs., 70 figs., 10 tabs

The high sensitivity of lithium detector to pep- and Be7-neutrinos makes a lithium radiochemical detector a powerful tool for the search of the oscillations of solar neutrinos. The first phase of lithium experiment on the installation with 10 tons of metallic lithium will enable to collect data within 1 year of measurements to provide very definite information about SMA MSW solution. the second phase with 10 modules 10 tons each will measure the semiannual variations of the signal, thus the contributions of pep- and Be7-lines will be weighted, what will give a "smoking-gun" evidence about "just-so" solution for large mixing angles and delta-m2 about 10-10 - 10-9 eV2. If both regions are not confirmed the results of lithium detector can be interpreted in favor of LMA MSW solution.

IceCube, a future km^3 antarctic ice Cherenkov neutrino telescope, is highly sensitive to a galactic supernova (SN) neutrino burst. The Cherenkov light corresponding to the total energy deposited by the SN neutrinos in the ice can be measured relative to background fluctuations with a statistical precision much better than 1%. If the SN is viewed through the Earth, the matter effect on neutrino oscillations can change the signal by more than 5%, depending on the flavor-depen...

We study the possibility of using CsI[Na] scintillators as an advantageous target for the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CENNS), using the neutrino emissions from the SNS spallation source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The response of this material to low-energy nuclear recoils like those expected from this process is characterized. Backgrounds are studied using a 2 kg low-background prototype crystal in a dedicated radiation shield. The conclusion is that a planned 14 kg detector should measure approximately 550 CENNS events per year above a demonstrated ∼7keVnr low-energy threshold, with a signal-to-background ratio sufficient for a first measurement of the CENNS cross-section. The cross-section for the 208Pb(νe,e−)208Bi reaction, of interest for future supernova neutrinodetection, can be simultaneously obtained

The acoustics environment in space operations is important to maintain at manageable levels so that the crewperson can remain safe, functional, effective, and reasonably comfortable. High acoustic levels can produce temporary or permanent hearing loss, or cause other physiological symptoms such as auditory pain, headaches, discomfort, strain in the vocal cords, or fatigue. Noise is defined as undesirable sound. Excessive noise may result in psychological effects such as irritability, inability to concentrate, decrease in productivity, annoyance, errors in judgment, and distraction. A noisy environment can also result in the inability to sleep, or sleep well. Elevated noise levels can affect the ability to communicate, understand what is being said, hear what is going on in the environment, degrade crew performance and operations, and create habitability concerns. Superfluous noise emissions can also create the inability to hear alarms or other important auditory cues such as an equipment malfunctioning. Recent space flight experience, evaluations of the requirements in crew habitable areas, and lessons learned (Goodman 2003; Allen and Goodman 2003; Pilkinton 2003; Grosveld et al. 2003) show the importance of maintaining an acceptable acoustics environment. This is best accomplished by having a high-quality set of limits/requirements early in the program, the "designing in" of acoustics in the development of hardware and systems, and by monitoring, testing and verifying the levels to ensure that they are acceptable.

We observed, for the first time, solar neutrinos in the 1.0-1.5 MeV energy range. We measured the rate of pep solar neutrino interactions in Borexino to be [3.1+-0.6(stat)+-0.3(syst)] counts/(day x 100 ton) and provided a constraint on the CNO solar neutrino interaction rate of

Full Text Available In this paper, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF piezoelectric transducer was developed to detect laser-induced surface acoustic waves in a SiO2-thin film–Si-substrate structure. In order to solve the problems related to, firstly, the position of the probe, and secondly, the fact that signals at different points cannot be detected simultaneously during the detection process, a four-quadrant surface acoustic wave PVDF transducer was designed and constructed for the purpose of detecting surface acoustic waves excited by a pulse laser line source. The experimental results of the four-quadrant piezoelectric detection in comparison with the commercial nanoindentation technology were consistent, the relative error is 0.56%, and the system eliminates the piezoelectric surface wave detection direction deviation errors, improves the accuracy of the testing system by 1.30%, achieving the acquisition at the same time at different testing positions of the sample.

The proton light output function in electron-equivalent energy of various scintillators based on linear alkylbenzene (LAB) has been measured in the energy range from 1 MeV to 17.15 MeV for the first time. The measurement was performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) using a neutron beam with continuous energy distribution. The proton light output data is extracted from proton recoil spectra originating from neutron-proton scattering in the scintillator. The functional behavior of the proton light output is described successfully by Birks' law with a Birks constant kB between (0.0094{+-}0.0002) cm MeV{sup -1} and (0.0098{+-}0.0003) cm MeV{sup -1} for the different LAB solutions. The constant C, parameterizing the quadratic term in the generalized Birks law, is consistent with zero for all investigated scintillators with an upper limit (95 % CL) of about 10{sup -7} cm{sup 2} MeV{sup -2}. The resulting quenching factors are especially important for future planned supernova neutrinodetection based on the elastic scattering of neutrinos on protons. The impact of proton quenching on the supernova event yield from neutrino-proton scattering is discussed. (orig.)

We have investigated the possibility that large rock salt formations might be suitable as target masses for detection of neutrinos of energies about 10 PeV and above. In neutrino interactions at these energies, the secondary electromagnetic cascade produces a coherent radio pulse well above ambient thermal noise via the Askaryan effect. We describe measurements of radio-frequency attenuation lengths and ambient thermal noise in two salt formations. Measurements in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located in an evaporite salt bed in Carlsbad, NM yielded short attenuation lengths, 3-7 m over 150-300 MHz. However, measurements at United Salt's Hockley mine, located in a salt dome near Houston, Texas yielded attenuation lengths in excess of 250 m at similar frequencies. We have also analyzed early ground-penetrating radar data at Hockley mine and have found additional evidence for attenuation lengths in excess of several hundred meters at 440 MHz. We conclude that salt domes, which may individually contain...

The origin of the most energetic particles in nature, the ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays, is still a mystery. Due to their extremely low flux, even the 3,000 km^2 Pierre Auger detector registers only about 30 cosmic rays per year with sufficiently high energy to be used for directional studies. A method to provide a vast increase in collecting area is to use the lunar technique, in which ground-based radio telescopes search for the nanosecond radio flashes produced when a cosmic ray interacts with the Moon's surface. The technique is also sensitive to the associated flux of UHE neutrinos, which are expected from cosmic ray interactions during production and propagation, and the detection of which can also be used to identify the UHE cosmic ray source(s). An additional flux of UHE neutrinos may also be produced in the decays of topological defects from the early Universe. Observations with existing radio telescopes have shown that this technique is technically feasible, and established the required proced...

Full Text Available Abstract Background Magnetic Particle Imaging is a novel method for medical imaging. It can be used to measure the local concentration of a tracer material based on iron oxide nanoparticles. While the resulting images show the distribution of the tracer material in phantoms or anatomic structures of subjects under examination, no information about the tissue is being acquired. To expand Magnetic Particle Imaging into the detection of soft tissue properties, a new method is proposed, which detectsacoustic emissions caused by magnetization changes in superparamagnetic iron oxide. Methods Starting from an introduction to the theory of acousticallydetected Magnetic Particle Imaging, a comparison to magnetically detected Magnetic Particle Imaging is presented. Furthermore, an experimental setup for the detection of acoustic emissions is described, which consists of the necessary field generating components, i.e. coils and permanent magnets, as well as a calibrated microphone to perform the detection. Results The estimated detection limit of acoustic Magnetic Particle Imaging is comparable to the detection limit of magnetic resonance imaging for iron oxide nanoparticles, whereas both are inferior to the theoretical detection limit for magnetically detected Magnetic Particle Imaging. Sufficient data was acquired to perform a comparison to the simulated data. The experimental results are in agreement with the simulations. The remaining differences can be well explained. Conclusions It was possible to demonstrate the detection of acoustic emissions of magnetic tracer materials in Magnetic Particle Imaging. The processing of acoustic emission in addition to the tracer distribution acquired by magnetic detection might allow for the extraction of mechanical tissue parameters. Such parameters, like for example the velocity of sound and the attenuation caused by the tissue, might also be used to support and improve ultrasound imaging. However, the method

We study the energy flux carried by acoustic waves excited by convective motions at sub-photospheric levels. The analysis of high-resolution spectropolarimetric data taken with IMaX/Sunrise provides a total energy flux of ~ 6400--7700 Wm$^{-2}$ at a height of ~ 250 km in the 5.2-10 mHz range, i.e. at least twice the largest energy flux found in previous works. Our estimate lies within a factor of 2 of the energy flux needed to balance radiative losses from the chromosphere according to Anderson & Athay (1989) and revives interest in acoustic waves for transporting energy to the chromosphere. The acoustic flux is mainly found in the intergranular lanes but also in small rapidly-evolving granules and at the bright borders, forming dark dots and lanes of splitting granules.

The IceCube detector at the South Pole is the world’s largest neutrino telescope, instrumenting a cubic kilometre of deep clear ice. Completed in late 2010, the detector has recorded the arrival directions and energies of tens of thousands of neutrinos – mostly those produced when cosmic rays collide with the Earth’s atmosphere. Here, we report on the first observation of high-energy neutrinos from beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, identified using a novel method to strongly suppress atmospheric neutrinos coming downward into the detector from the southern sky, leaving a sample of neutrinos highly likely to be of astrophysical origin

Direct measurements of the core collapse supernova rate (R{sub SN}) in the redshift range 0 ≤ z ≤ 1 appear to be about a factor of two smaller than the rate inferred from the measured cosmic massive star formation rate (SFR). This discrepancy would imply that about one-half of the massive stars that have been born in the local observed comoving volume did not explode as luminous supernovae. In this work, we explore the possibility that one could clarify the source of this 'supernova rate problem' by detecting the energy spectrum of supernova relic neutrinos with a next generation 10{sup 6} ton water Čerenkov detector like Hyper-Kamiokande. First, we re-examine the supernova rate problem. We make a conservative alternative compilation of the measured SFR data over the redshift range 0 ≤z ≤ 7. We show that by only including published SFR data for which the dust obscuration has been directly determined, the ratio of the observed massive SFR to the observed supernova rate R{sub SN} has large uncertainties ∼1.8{sub −0.6}{sup +1.6} and is statistically consistent with no supernova rate problem. If we further consider that a significant fraction of massive stars will end their lives as faint ONeMg SNe or as failed SNe leading to a black hole remnant, then the ratio reduces to ∼1.1{sub −0.4}{sup +1.0} and the rate problem is essentially solved. We next examine the prospects for detecting this solution to the supernova rate problem. We first study the sources of uncertainty involved in the theoretical estimates of the neutrinodetection rate and analyze whether the spectrum of relic neutrinos can be used to independently identify the existence of a supernova rate problem and its source. We consider an ensemble of published and unpublished core collapse supernova simulation models to estimate the uncertainties in the anticipated neutrino luminosities and temperatures. We illustrate how the spectrum of detector events might be used to establish the

The role that neutrinos have played in the evolution of the Universe is the focus of one of the most fascinating research areas that has stemmed from the interplay between cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics. In this self-contained book, the authors bring together all aspects of the role of neutrinos in cosmology, spanning from leptogenesis to primordial nucleosynthesis, their role in CMB and structure formation, to the problem of their direct detection. The book starts by guiding the reader through aspects of fundamental neutrino physics, such as the standard cosmological model and the statistical mechanics in the expanding Universe, before discussing the history of neutrinos in chronological order from the very early stages until today. This timely book will interest graduate students and researchers in astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics, who work with either a theoretical or experimental focus.

Neutrino telescopes with large detection volumes can demonstrate whether the current indications of neutrino oscillation are correct or if a better description can be achieved with nonstandard alternatives. Observations of contained muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos can better constrain the allowed region for oscillations or determine the relevant parameters of nonstandard models. We analyze the possibility of neutrino telescopes measuring atmospheric neutrino oscillations. We suggest adjustments to improve this potential. An addition of four densely instrumented strings to the AMANDA II detector makes oscillation observations feasible. Such a configuration is competitive with current and proposed experiments

Neutrino telescopes with large detection volumes can demonstrate that the current indications of neutrino oscillation are correct or if a better description can be achieved with non-standard alternatives. Observations of contained muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos can better constrain the allowed region for oscillations or determine the relevant parameters of non-standard models. We analyze the possibility of neutrino telescopes measuring atmospheric neutrino oscillations. We suggest adjustments to improve this potential. An addition of four densely-instrumented strings to the AMANDA II detector makes observations feasible. Such a configuration is competitive with current and proposed experiments.

Neutrino telescopes with large detection volumes can demonstrate whether the current indications of neutrino oscillation are correct or if a better description can be achieved with nonstandard alternatives. Observations of contained muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos can better constrain the allowed region for oscillations or determine the relevant parameters of nonstandard models. We analyze the possibility of neutrino telescopes measuring atmospheric neutrino oscillations. We suggest adjustments to improve this potential. An addition of four densely instrumented strings to the AMANDA II detector makes oscillation observations feasible. Such a configuration is competitive with current and proposed experiments.

For the first time, we report the acoustic wave detection of chemical species being transported in a capillary tube to a region where acoustic coupling occurs. The measured parameter was a change in phase, which was originally only attributed to a change in solution density as the analyte passed by the detection region. Accordingly, we report the detection of change in phase as various chemical species (e.g. Cy5 dye, Cy5-derivatized glycine and underivatized glycine) were introduced into and migrated along a capillary tube through electrokinetic processes. To improve detection sensitivity, we modified various experimental parameters, such as run buffer concentration, capillary wall thickness and transducer frequency. Although acoustic wave detection was feasible, the peak width and detection limit were inadequate as compared to conventional detection methods for HPLC or CE. Nevertheless, the effects of various physical and chemical relaxation processes on acoustic wave absorption were discussed, and this has shed some light on explaining some observations, which cannot be explained by density differences alone. Accordingly, the acoustic wave method is suggested to investigate these processes, as studied in ultrasonic relaxation spectroscopy, in a flow system. PMID:12866892

Neutrinos play a key role in core-collapse supernova explosions. Carrying information from deep inside the stellar core, neutrinos are direct probes of the supernova mechanism. Intriguing recent developments on the role of neutrinos in supernovae are reviewed, as well as our current understanding of the flavor conversions in the stellar envelope, and the detection perspectives of the next burst.

In this paper, we discuss the NATO Task Group 53 (TG-53) acousticdetection of weapon firing field joint experiment at Yuma Proving Ground during 31 October to 4 November 2005. The participating NATO countries include France, the Netherlands, UK and US. The objectives of the joint experiments are: (i) to collect acoustic signatures of direct and indirect firings from weapons such as sniper, mortar, artillery and C4 explosives and (ii) to share signatures among NATO partners from a variety of acoustic sensing platforms on the ground and in the air distributed over a wide area.

The aim of this thesis is the search for high energy cosmic neutrinos emitted by point sources with the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The detection of high energy cosmic neutrinos can bring answers to important questions such as the origin of cosmic rays and the γ-rays emission processes. In the first part of the thesis, the neutrino flux emitted by galactic and extragalactic sources and the number of events which can be detected by ANTARES are estimated. This study uses the measured γ-ray spectra of known sources taking into account the γ-ray absorption by the extragalactic background light. In the second part of the thesis, the absolute pointing of the ANTARES telescope is evaluated. Being located at a depth of 2475 m in sea water, the orientation of the detector is determined by an acoustic positioning system which relies on low and high frequency acoustic waves measurements between the sea surface and the bottom. The third part of the thesis is a search for neutrino point sources in the ANTARES data. The search algorithm is based on a likelihood ratio maximization method. It is used in two search strategies; 'the candidate sources list strategy' and 'the all sky search strategy'. Analysing 2007+2008 data, no discovery is made and the world's best upper limits on neutrino fluxes from various sources in the Southern sky are established. (author)

A recent analysis of the Fermi Large Area Telescope data provided evidence for a high-intensity emission of high-energy gamma rays with a E-2 spectrum from two large areas, spanning 50° above and below the Galactic centre (the "Fermi bubbles"). A hadronic mechanism was proposed for this gamma-ray emission making the Fermi bubbles promising source candidates of high-energy neutrino emission. In this work Monte Carlo simulations regarding the detectability of high-energy neutrinos from the Fermi bubbles with the future multi-km3 neutrino telescope KM3NeT in the Mediterranean Sea are presented. Under the hypothesis that the gamma-ray emission is completely due to hadronic processes, the results indicate that neutrinos from the bubbles could be discovered in about one year of operation, for a neutrino spectrum with a cutoff at 100 TeV and a detector with about 6 km3 of instrumented volume. The effect of a possible lower cutoff is also considered.

The present paper proposes a new approach for detecting music boundaries, such as the boundary between music pieces or the boundary between a music piece and a speech section for automatic segmentation of musical video data and retrieval of a designated music piece. The proposed approach is able to capture each music piece using acoustic similarity defined for short-term segments in the music piece. The short segmental acoustic similarity is obtained by means of a new algorithm called segmen...

I review the essentials of ultrahigh-energy neutrino interactions, show how neutral-current detection and flavor tagging can enhance the scientific potential of neutrino telescopes, and sketch new studies on neutrino encounters with dark matter relics and on gravitational lensing of neutrinos.

To measure the ultra-hight energy neutrino flux, studies on a larger IceCube neutrino observatory at the south pole have been intensively investigated in the last years. These studies have introduced a hybrid detection concept including radio and acousticdetection in addition to existing optical detection. The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) was built and deployed to evaluate the acoustic properties of the South Pole ice for the purpose of assessing the feasibility of an acousticneutrinodetection array. The Aachen Acoustic Laboratory (AAL) is supporting these efforts and providing infrastructures for the calibration of PZT-based acoustic sensors used in SPATS, study of a laser-based thermoacoustic model under laboratory conditions and investigating new piezoelectric materials for use in a next generation of acoustic sensors. In this talk we present the R and D status and first results of an acoustic sensor prototype based on PVDF material (Polyvinylidene Fluoride). With a flat frequency response and sensitivity the PVDF response to a thermoacoustic signal has shown the expected bipolar signal free of any superimposed resonances. The analysis of such a clean bipolar signal allow a deeper insight into understanding the thermoacoustic model and leading to a further development of optimized acoustic sensors for deployment at the South Pole.

We study novel scenarios where thermal dark matter (DM) can be efficiently captured in the Sun and annihilate into boosted dark matter. In models with semi-annihilating DM, where DM has a non-minimal stabilization symmetry, or in models with a multi-component DM sector, annihilations of DM can give rise to stable dark sector particles with moderate Lorentz boosts. We investigate both of these possibilities, presenting concrete models as proofs of concept. Both scenarios can yield viable thermal relic DM with masses O(1)-O(100) GeV. Taking advantage of the energetic proton recoils that arise when the boosted DM scatters off matter, we propose a detection strategy which uses large volume terrestrial detectors, such as those designed to detectneutrinos or proton decays. In particular, we propose a search for proton tracks pointing towards the Sun. We focus on signals at Cherenkov-radiation-based detectors such as Super-Kamiokande (SK) and its upgrade Hyper-Kamiokande (HK). We find that with spin-dependent scattering as the dominant DM-nucleus interaction at low energies, boosted DM can leave detectable signals at SK or HK, with sensitivity comparable to DM direct detection experiments while being consistent with current constraints. Our study provides a new search path for DM sectors with non-minimal structure.

We study novel scenarios where thermal dark matter (DM) can be efficiently captured in the Sun and annihilate into boosted dark matter. In models with semi-annihilating DM, where DM has a non-minimal stabilization symmetry, or in models with a multi-component DM sector, annihilations of DM can give rise to stable dark sector particles with moderate Lorentz boosts. We investigate both of these possibilities, presenting concrete models as proofs of concept. Both scenarios can yield viable thermal relic DM with masses O(1)-O(100) GeV. Taking advantage of the energetic proton recoils that arise when the boosted DM scatters off matter, we propose a detection strategy which uses large volume terrestrial detectors, such as those designed to detectneutrinos or proton decays. In particular, we propose a search for proton tracks pointing towards the Sun. We focus on signals at Cherenkov-radiation-based detectors such as Super-Kamiokande (SK) and its upgrade Hyper-Kamiokande (HK). We find that with spin-dependent scattering as the dominant DM-nucleus interaction at low energies, boosted DM can leave detectable signals at SK or HK, with sensitivity comparable to DM direct detection experiments while being consistent with current constraints. Our study provides a new search path for DM sectors with non-minimal structure

When applied to interactive seminars, the detection of acoustic events from only audio information shows a large amount of errors, which are mostly due to the temporal overlaps of sounds. Video signals may be a useful additional source of information to cope with that problem for particular events. In this work, we aim at improving the detection of steps by using two audio-based Acoustic Event Detection (AED) systems, with SVM and HMM, and a video-based AED system, which employs the output of...

The problem of detecting an object in shallow water by observing changes in the acoustic field as the object passes between an acoustic source and receiver is addressed. A signal processing scheme based on forward scattering is proposed to detect the perturbed field in the presence of the moving object. The periodic LFM wideband signal is transmitted and a sudden change of field is acquired using a normalized median filter. The experimental results on the lake show that the proposed scheme is successful for the detection of a slowly moving object in the bistatic blind zone.

The significance of light massive neutrinos as hot dark matter is outlined. The power of neutrino oscillation experiments with respect to detect such neutrinos in the eV-region is discussed. Present hints for neutrino oscillations in solar, atmospheric and LSND data are reviewed as well as future experiments and their potential.

Real time solar neutrino detectors are an urgent need, and they must be sensitive to the pp part of the spectrum. Combining the simultaneous detection of light and phonons (the luminescent bolometer) with fast single crystal scintillators of InP and InSb compounds, very good background rejection can be achieved. Its applications in dark matter and double beta decay detection are discussed. (K.A.) 30 refs., 2 figs

Fisheries sonar was used to determine the applicability of active acoustic monitoring (AAM) for marine mammal detection in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. During 170 h of simultaneous observation by marine mammal observers and active acoustic observation, 119 Balaena mysticetus (bowheads) and 4 Delphinapterus leucas (belugas) were visually sighted, while 59 acoustic signals of bowheads were detected by AAM operators. Observations and detection of seals were also recorded. Comparative results indicate that commercially available active acoustic systems can detect seals at distances up to 500 m and large baleen whales at distances up to 2 km. PMID:26611045

By 2D hydrodynamic simulations including a detailed equation of state and neutrino transport, we investigate the interplay between different non-radial hydrodynamic instabilities that play a role during the postbounce accretion phase of collapsing stellar cores. The convective mode of instability, which is driven by negative entropy gradients caused by neutrino heating or by time variations of the shock strength, can be identified clearly by the development of typical Rayleigh-Taylor mushrooms. However, in cases where the gas in the postshock region is rapidly advected towards the gain radius, the growth of such a buoyancy instability can be suppressed. In such a situation the shocked flow nevertheless can develop non-radial asymmetry with an oscillatory growth of the amplitude. This phenomenon was previously termed ``standing accretion shock instability'' (SASI) by Blondin et al. (2003). It is shown here that the oscillation period of the SASI observed in our simulations agrees well with the one estimated fo...

The plenary reports of Neutrino '80 are presented by experts in neutrino physics and astrophysics. Their International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics was held in Erice (Italy), June 23 through 28, 1980. The proceedings include reviews of part research, the history of neutrino research and coverage of recent results and theoretical speculations. Topics include high- and low-energy neutrino astrophysics, weak charged and neutral currents, low and intermediate weak interactions, neutrino oscillations, and parity violation in atoms and nuclei conservation laws. Weak interactions in lepton-lepton and lepton-nucleon collisions, beam dump experiments, new theoretical ideas, and future developments in accelerators and detectors are also included. The topics are introduced by a historical perspective section and then grouped under the headings of neutrino astrophysics, weak charged currents, weak neutral currents, low and intermediate energy interactions, conservation laws, weak interactions in electron and hadron experiments, and a final section on future accelerator, new neutrinodetection technology and concluding remarks

In this paper, we study the prospects for determining the nature of neutrinos in the context of a supersymmetric $B-L$ extension of the standard model by using dark matter indirect detection signals and bounds on $N_{\\text{eff}}$ from the cosmic microwave background data. The model contains two new dark matter candidates whose dominant annihilation channels produce more neutrinos than neutralino dark matter in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. The photon and neutrino counts may then be used to discriminate between the two models. If the dark matter comes from the B-L sector, its indirect signals and impact on the cosmic microwave background can shed light on the nature of the neutrinos. When the light neutrinos are of Majorana type, the indirect neutrino signal from the Sun and the galactic center may show a prompt neutrino box-feature, as well as an earlier cut-off in both neutrino and gamma ray energy spectra. When the light neutrinos are of Dirac type, their contribution to the effective number of...

We examined Acoustic Emission (AE) events during combined heat and tensile test carried out in different steels (S235JRG2, TRIP and TWIP steels) on Gleeble simulator. The simulator enabled us to control parameters for fast heating and cooling parallel with pressing and tensile the sample until its real break. The aim was to investigate the structural change of the material, phase transformation in the steel at different temperatures, and connect them to signatures measured by acoustic emission sensors. During testing we noticed characteristics of Barkhausen noise. We demonstrate and prove definitely that we were facing Acoustic Barkhausen Noise (ABN) due to AC current used to heating and to maintaining the temperature in the cylindrical ferritic sample. It was observed, that the magnitude of the ABN dropped suddenly to the half when the tensile test started after preheating, and it was growing back when the tensile test went to plastic deformation with elongation of the tested sample. Localization of the ABN sources has been done showing the distribution of the sources along the whole material. ABN sources were observed all along the sample with interesting density growth in the section where the diameter was smaller, thus the tension was higher. Nevertheless, this was not the only observation, since the place of the densest sources was displaced from one position to another position until the break occurred near to the densest place of ANB and AE source. Off-line examination of the structure of material afterward using destructive test proved that we could register those cooling periods, where phase transition took place in the material. Ferrite-bainite and magnetite-bainite transitions were connected to some higher distribution of ANB and AE signals during the test. Rate of hits and sum of hit were connected to material transition during cooling. The first results of AE measurements during tensile test in TWIP materials showed that AE events are connected with

In this work, corrosion of 304 stainless steel was evaluated by using acoustic emission(AE) technique. AE measurement system was set for detectingacoustic signal during accelerated corrosion test of the specimen. AE signal started to be detected after the time of pitting corrosion initiation was evaluated by anodic polarization curve. Pitting corrosion damage was confirmed by optical microscopic observation of the surface morphology. AE cumulative counts and amplitude according to corrosion time could be divided into three stages. These trends were discussed in relation with changing pitting corrosion mechanism. Feasibilities of AE technique for evaluation of corrosion damage and mechanism were suggested.

We observed, for the first time, solar neutrinos in the 1.0-1.5 MeV energy range. We determined the rate of pep solar neutrino interactions in Borexino to be 3.l±0.6stat±0.3syst counts/(day-100 ton). Assuming the pep neutrino flux predicted by the Standard Solar Model, we obtained a constraint on the CNO solar neutrino interaction rate of techniques for the rejection of cosmogenic 11C, the dominant background in the 1-2 MeV region. Assuming the MSW-LMA solution to solar neutrino oscillations, these values correspond to solar neutrino fluxes of (1.6±0.3)×l08cm-2s-1 and <7.7×l08 cm-2s-1 (95% C.L.), respectively, in agreement with both the High and Low Metallicity Standard Solar Models. These results represent the first direct evidence of the pep neutrino signal and the strongest constraint of the CNO solar neutrino flux to date.

We observed, for the first time, solar neutrinos in the 1.0-1.5 MeV energy range. We measured the rate of pep solar neutrino interactions in Borexino to be [3.1+-0.6(stat)+-0.3(syst)] counts/(day x 100 ton) and provided a constraint on the CNO solar neutrino interaction rate of <7.9 counts/(day x 100 ton) (95% C.L.). The absence of the solar neutrino signal is disfavored at 99.97% C.L., while the absence of the pep signal is disfavored at 98% C.L. This unprecedented sensitivity was achieved by adopting novel data analysis techniques for the rejection of cosmogenic 11C, the dominant background in the 1-2 MeV region. Assuming the MSW-LMA solution to solar neutrino oscillations, these values correspond to solar neutrino fluxes of [1.6+-0.3]x10^8 cm^-2s-1 and 7.7x10^8 cm^-2s-1 (95% C.L.), respectively, in agreement with the Standard Solar Model. These results represent the first measurement of the pep neutrino flux and the strongest constraint of the CNO solar neutrino flux to date.

We investigated how listeners perceive the temporal relationship of a light flash and a complex acoustic signal. The stimulus mimics ubiquitous events in busy scenes which are manifested as a change in the pattern of on-going fluctuation. Detecting pattern emergence inherently requires integration over time; resulting in such events being detected later than when they occurred. How does delayed detection time affect the perception of such events relative to other events in the scene? To model...

Full Text Available The total cross sections as well as the neutrino event rates are calculated in the charged current neutrino and antineutrino scattering off 132Xe isotope at neutrino energies Ev<100 MeV. Transitions to excited nuclear states are calculated in the framework of quasiparticle random-phase approximation. The contributions from different multipoles are shown for various neutrino energies. Flux-averaged cross sections are obtained by convolving the cross sections with a two-parameter Fermi-Dirac distribution. The flux-averaged cross sections are also calculated using terrestrial neutrino sources based on conventional sources (muon decay at rest or on low-energy beta-beams.

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) will be a premier facility for exploring long-standing questions about the boundaries of the standard model. Acting in concert with the liquid argon time projection chambers underpinning the far detector design, the LBNE photon detection system will capture ultraviolet scintillation light in order to provide valuable timing information for event reconstruction. The team at Indiana University is exploring a design based on acrylic waveguides coated with a wavelength-shifting compound, combined with silicon photomultipliers, to collect and record scintillation light from liquid argon. Large-scale tests of this design are being conducted at the ``TallBo'' liquid argon dewar facility at Fermilab, where performance studies with cosmic ray events are helping steer decisions for the final detector design. We present an overview of the design and function of this photon detection system and the latest results from the analysis of data collected during these tests. Photon Detector R&D Team at Indiana University.

Neutrino oscillations are only observable when the neutrino production, propagation and detection coherence conditions are satisfied. In this paper we consider in detail neutrino production coherence, taking \\pi\\to \\mu \

The detection and localization of hostile weapons firing has been demonstrated successfully with acoustic sensor arrays on unattended ground sensors (UGS), ground-vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Some of the more mature systems have demonstrated significant capabilities and provide direct support to ongoing counter-sniper operations. The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is conducting research and development for a helmet-mounted system to acousticallydetect and localize small arms firing, or other events such as RPG, mortars, and explosions, as well as other non-transient signatures. Since today's soldier is quickly being asked to take on more and more reconnaissance, surveillance, & target acquisition (RSTA) functions, sensor augmentation enables him to become a mobile and networked sensor node on the complex and dynamic battlefield. Having a body-worn threat detection and localization capability for events that pose an immediate danger to the soldiers around him can significantly enhance their survivability and lethality, as well as enable him to provide and use situational awareness clues on the networked battlefield. This paper addresses some of the difficulties encountered by an acoustic system in an urban environment. Complex reverberation, multipath, diffraction, and signature masking by building structures makes this a very harsh environment for robust detection and classification of shockwaves and muzzle blasts. Multifunctional acousticdetection arrays can provide persistent surveillance and enhanced situational awareness for every soldier.

Concomitant with the emergence and spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS) and precipitous decline of many bat species in North America, natural resource managers need modified and/or new techniques for bat inventory and monitoring that provide robust occupancy estimates. We used Anabat acoustic detectors to determine the most efficient passive acoustic sampling design for optimizing detection probabilities of multiple bat species in a WNS-impacted environment in New York, USA. Our sampling protocol included: six acoustic stations deployed for the entire duration of monitoring as well as a 4 x 4 grid and five transects of 5-10 acoustic units that were deployed for 6-8 night sample durations surveyed during the summers of 2011-2012. We used Program PRESENCE to determine detection probability and site occupancy estimates. Overall, the grid produced the highest detection probabilities for most species because it contained the most detectors and intercepted the greatest spatial area. However, big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and species not impacted by WNS were detected easily regardless of sampling array. Endangered Indiana (Myotis sodalis) and little brown (Myotis lucifugus) and tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) showed declines in detection probabilities over our study, potentially indicative of continued WNS-associated declines. Identification of species presence through efficient methodologies is vital for future conservation efforts as bat populations decline further due to WNS and other factors.

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is a second-generation water Cherenkov detector designed to determine whether the currently observed solar neutrino deficit is a result of neutrino oscillations. The detector is unique in its use of D2O as a detection medium, permitting it to make a solar model-independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by comparison of the charged- and neutral-current interaction rates. In this paper the physical properties, construction, and preliminary operation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are described. Data and predicted operating parameters are provided whenever possible

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is a second generation water Cherenkov detector designed to determine whether the currently observed solar neutrino deficit is a result of neutrino oscillations. The detector is unique in its use of D2O as a detection medium, permitting it to make a solar model-independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by comparison of the charged- and neutral-current interaction rates. In this paper the physical properties, construction, and preliminary operation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are described. Data and predicted operating parameters are provided whenever possible.

We review long-baseline neutrino experiments in which neutrinos are detected after traversing macroscopic distances. Over such distances neutrinos have been found to oscillate among flavor states. Experiments with solar, atmospheric, reactor, and accelerator neutrinos have resulted in a coherent picture of neutrino masses and mixing of the three known flavor states. We will summarize the current best knowledge of neutrino parameters and phenomenology with our focus on the evolution of the experimental technique. We proceed from the first evidence produced by astrophysical neutrino sources to the current open questions and the goals of future research.

The results of the Soviet-Greek tests of the 10 PMTs deep undersea detector module for NESTOR - optical neutrino telescope near Pylos, Greece are presented. The vertical muon intensity and the angular distribution of muons at 3000-4000 m depths were measured by that module during r/v ''VITYAZ'' cruise in July-91. The effective registration area of the module for vertical muons was evaluated to be close to 400 m. The proposal to construct 10 m NESTOR by the module principle to install a few supermodules or superstrings modules (each superstring consists of 6 modules) is under consideration. (orig.)

The objective of the project was to evaluate the potential and the limits of various nondestructive methods for testing the contents of 200-litre drums filled with radioactive waste. The following test problems were to be studied: 1. Detection of free water on the surface of the waste matrix (concrete); 2. Determination of the waste matrix level; 3. Determination of internal gas pressure. The following methods were found to be suitable: For Test problem 1: Measurement of Lamb wave attenuation, Acoustic impedance measurement (AIM) and Analysis of swash sound; For Test problem 2: Acoustic impedance measurement (AIM) and Measurement of Lamb wave attenuation; For Test problem 3: A method of pressure compensation and Analysis of cover resonances after striking the cover. It was not possible, however, to detect the concrete level by localisation of friction points using acoustic emission methods. 53 figs

The detection and localization of artillery guns on the battlefield is envisaged by means of acoustic and seismic waves. The main objective of this work is to examine the different frequency ranges usable for the detection of small arms, mortars, and artillery guns on the same hardware platform. The main stages of this study have consisted of: data acquisition of the acoustic signals of the different weapons used, signal processing and evaluation of the localization performance for various types of individual arrays, and modeling of the wave propagation in the atmosphere. The study of the propagation effects on the signatures of these weapons is done by comparing the acoustic signals measured during various days, at ground level and at the altitude of our aerostat (typically 200 m). Numerical modeling has also been performed to reinforce the interpretation of the experimental results.

Sophisticated robotic platforms with diverse sensor suites are quickly replacing the eyes and ears of soldiers on the complex battlefield. The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, Maryland has developed a robot-based acousticdetection system that will detect an impulsive noise event, such as a sniper's weapon firing or door slam, and activate a pan-tilt to orient a visible and infrared camera toward the detected sound. Once the cameras are cued to the target, onboard image processing can then track the target and/or transmit the imagery to a remote operator for navigation, situational awareness, and target detection. Such a vehicle can provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for soldiers, law enforcement, and rescue personnel, and remove these people from hazardous environments. ARL's primary robotic platforms contain 16-in. diameter, eight-element acoustic arrays. Additionally, a 9- in. array is being developed in support of DARPA's Tactical Mobile Robot program. The robots have been tested in both urban and open terrain. The current acoustic processing algorithm has been optimized to detect the muzzle blast from a sniper's weapon, and reject many interfering noise sources such as wind gusts, generators, and self-noise. However, other detection algorithms for speech and vehicle detection/tracking are being developed for implementation on this and smaller robotic platforms. The collaboration between two robots, both with known positions and orientations, can provide useful triangulation information for more precise localization of the acoustic events. These robots can be mobile sensor nodes in a larger, more expansive, sensor network that may include stationary ground sensors, UAVs, and other command and control assets. This report will document the performance of the robot's acoustic localization, describe the algorithm, and outline future work.

The resonant-mass gravitational wave detector NAUTILUS has recently recorded signals due to cosmic rays crossing. Very large signals have been observed in the superconductive state of the antenna. In order to investigate this anomalous response at low temperatures, the Rivelazione Acustica di Particelle experiment has been approved. Its purpose is the measurement of the mechanical vibrations in a superconducting (T{approx}100 mK) cylindrical aluminium bar when hit by 10{sup 5} electrons at 510 MeV from the DAPHINE Beam Test Facility, corresponding to the energies released by extensive air showers in the NAUTILUS antenna. The results of this measurement are crucial to understand the interaction of ionizing particles with bulk superconductors and to confirm the results on the thermo-acoustic model of the past experiments.

Highlights: • An acoustic leak detection system for sodium heated steam generator is proposed. • The new system can separate leak source from steam generator background noise. • Performance of the new system has been confirmed in water experiments. - Abstract: A phased array acoustic leak detection system for sodium heated steam generator has been proposed. The major advantage of the new system is it could provide information of acoustic source direction. An acoustic source of a sodium–water reaction is supposed to be localized while the background noise of the steam generator operation is uniformly distributed in the steam generator tube region. Therefore the new system could separate the target leak source from steam generator background noise. In the previous study, the methodology was proposed and basic performance was confirmed by numerical analysis. However, in the numerical analysis, acoustic transportation through the SG tube bundle was not modeled. In the present study, performance the proposed system has been confirmed in water experiments with mockup tube bundles

In time-resolved Brillouin scattering (also called picosecond ultrasonic interferometry), the time evolution of the spatial Fourier component of an optically excited acoustic strain distribution is monitored. The wave number is determined by the momentum conservation in photon-phonon interaction. For linear acoustic waves propagating in a homogeneous medium, the detected time-domain signal of the optical probe transient reflectivity shows a sinusoidal oscillation at a constant frequency known as the Brillouin frequency. This oscillation is a result of heterodyning the constant reflection from the sample surface with the Brillouin-scattered field. Here, we present an analytical theory for the nonlinear reshaping of a propagating, finite amplitude picosecond acoustic pulse, which results in a time-dependence of the observed frequency. In particular, we examine the conditions under which this information can be used to study the time-evolution of the weak-shock front speed. Depending on the initial strain pulse parameters and the time interval of its nonlinear transformation, our theory predicts the detected frequency to either be monotonically decreasing or oscillating in time. We support these theoretical predictions by comparison with available experimental data. In general, we find that picosecond ultrasonic interferometry of nonlinear acoustic pulses provides access to the nonlinear acoustic properties of a medium spanning most of the GHz frequency range

This paper describes a new framework for object detection and tracking of AUV including underwater acoustic data interpolation,underwater acoustic images segmentation and underwater objects tracking.This framework is applied to the design of vision-based method for AUV based on the forward looking sonar sensor.First,the real-time data flow (underwater acoustic images) is pre-processed to form the whole underwater acoustic image,and the relevant position information of objects is extracted and determined.An improved method of double threshold segmentation is proposed to resolve the problem that the threshold cannot be adjusted adaptively in the traditional method.Second,a representation of region information is created in light of the Gaussian particle filter.The weighted integration strategy combining the area and invariant moment is proposed to perfect the weight of particles and to enhance the tracking robustness.Results obtained on the real acoustic vision platform of AUV during sea trials are displayed and discussed.They show that the proposed method can detect and track the moving objects underwater online,and it is effective and robust.

OPERA is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment built to provide the final and unambiguous proof of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis in the atmospheric sector by observing ντ emerging from the CNGS νμ beam. The detector is a hybrid apparatus installed in the Hall C of the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. Runs with CNGS neutrinos were successfully carried out in 2007 and 2008. In this paper the detector and the analysis strategy are briefly described and the status of the analysis of the 2008 run events is discussed.

Regarding to GEN 4 context, it is necessary to fulfil the high safety standards for sodium fast reactors (SFR), particularly against water-sodium reaction which may occur in the steam generator units (SGU) in case of leak. This reaction can cause severe damages in the component in a short time. Detecting such a leak by visual in-sodium inspection is impossible because of sodium opacity. Hydrogen detection is then used but the time response of this method can be high in certain operating conditions. Active and passive acoustic leak detection methods were studied before SUPERPHENIX plant shutdown in 1997 to detect a water-into-sodium leak with a short time response. In the context of the new R and D studies for SFR, an innovative passive vibro-acoustic method is developed in the framework of a Ph.D. thesis to match with GEN 4 safety requirements. The method consists in assuming that a small leak emits spherical acoustic waves in a broadband frequency domain, which propagate in the liquid sodium and excite the SGU cylindrical shell. These spatially coherent waves are supposed to be buried by a spatially incoherent background noise. The radial velocities of the shell is measured by an array of accelerometers positioned on the external envelop of the SGU and a beam forming treatment is applied to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and to detect and localize the acoustic source. Previous numerical experiments were achieved and promising results were obtained. In this paper, experimental results of the proposed passive vibro-acoustic leak detection are presented. The experiment consists in a cylindrical water-filled steel pipe representing a model of SGU shell without tube bundle. A hydro-phone emitting an acoustic signal is used to simulate an acoustic monopole. Spatially uncorrelated noise or water-flow induced shell vibrations are considered as the background noise. The beam-forming method is applied to vibration signals measured by a linear array of

Cosmic radiations of ultra high energy (RCUHE, beyond 1018 eV) are difficult to study because of their low flux on the earth surface: about 1 photon per year and per km2. The observatory Pierre Auger proposes to study RCUHE by designing 2 sites of 3000 km2 (one in each hemisphere) allowing the observation of the shower initiated by cosmic radiation by using 4 fluorescence telescopes and a network of 1600 Cherenkov detectors. The identification of the primary particle is a very delicate point, the detection of neutrino or photon at these energies would bring valuable information for the understanding of potential sources of RCUHE. The first part of this work presents the project and its assets to perform its task. The second part is dedicated to the description of the Cherenkov detectors, of the trigger system, and of the centralized data acquisition system. The last part present the prototype installation that is under construction at Macargue in Argentina. (A.C.)

Acoustic Leak Detection Systems (ALDS) are used on both liquid and gas pipelines as well as multi-phase flow pipelines to detect leaks quickly and provide a means of limiting product loss. The real-time acoustic signal is continuously compared against signature leak profiles for the particular operating and geometric conditions. These profiles were developed from a database established from over 20 years of experimental and field leak tests. This technique not only drastically reduces the false alarm rate, but also significantly improves the sensitivity and leak location accuracy. This system will also detect leaks with shut-in flow (zero flow rate in the pipeline). With the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) it not only improves leak location accuracy, but also allows for continuous leak detection during the loss of communications. (author)

Full Text Available The ANTARES neutrino telescope is currently the largest neutrino detector in the Northern Hemisphere. The detector consists of a three-dimensional array of 885 photomultiplier tubes, distributed along 12 lines, located at a depth of 2500 m in the Mediterranean Sea. The purpose of the experiment is the detection of high-energy cosmic neutrinos. The detection principle is based on the observation of Cherenkov-Light emitted by muons resulting from charged-current interactions of muon neutrinos in the vicinity of the detection volume. The main scientific targets of ANTARES include the search for astrophysical neutrino point sources, the measurement of the diffuse neutrino flux and the indirect search for dark matter.

Documenting timing, locations, and intensity of spawning can provide valuable information for conservation and management of imperiled fishes. However, deep, turbid or turbulent water, or occurrence of spawning at night, can severely limit direct observations. We have developed and tested the use of passive acoustics to detect distinctive acoustic signatures associated with spawning events of two large-bodied catostomid species (River Redhorse Moxostoma carinatum and Robust Redhorse Moxostoma robustum) in river systems in north Georgia. We deployed a hydrophone with a recording unit at four different locations on four different dates when we could both record and observe spawning activity. Recordings captured 494 spawning events that we acoustically characterized using dominant frequency, 95% frequency, relative power, and duration. We similarly characterized 46 randomly selected ambient river noises. Dominant frequency did not differ between redhorse species and ranged from 172.3 to 14,987.1 Hz. Duration of spawning events ranged from 0.65 to 11.07 s, River Redhorse having longer durations than Robust Redhorse. Observed spawning events had significantly higher dominant and 95% frequencies than ambient river noises. We additionally tested software designed to automate acousticdetection. The automated detection configurations correctly identified 80–82% of known spawning events, and falsely indentified spawns 6–7% of the time when none occurred. These rates were combined over all recordings; rates were more variable among individual recordings. Longer spawning events were more likely to be detected. Combined with sufficient visual observations to ascertain species identities and to estimate detection error rates, passive acoustic recording provides a useful tool to study spawning frequency of large-bodied fishes that displace gravel during egg deposition, including several species of imperiled catostomids.

The existence of a cosmic neutrino background can be probed indirectly by CMB experiments, not only by measuring the background density of radiation in the universe, but also by searching for the typical signatures of the fluctuations of free-streaming species in the temperature and polarisation power spectrum. Previous studies have already proposed a rather generic parametrisation of these fluctuations, that could help to discriminate between the signature of ordinary free-streaming neutrinos, or of more exotic dark radiation models. Current data are compatible with standard values of these parameters, which seems to bring further evidence for the existence of a cosmic neutrino background. In this work, we investigate the robustness of this conclusion under various assumptions. We generalise the definition of an effective sound speed and viscosity speed to the case of massive neutrinos or other dark radiation components experiencing a non-relativistic transition. We show that current bounds on these effectiv...

Purpose: Range verification in proton therapy using the proton-acoustic signal induced in the Bragg peak was investigated for typical clinical scenarios. The signal generation and detection processes were simulated in order to determine the signal-to-noise limits. Methods: An analytical model was used to calculate the dose distribution and local pressure rise (per proton) for beams of different energy (100 and 160 MeV) and spot widths (1, 5, and 10 mm) in a water phantom. In this method, the acoustic waves propagating from the Bragg peak were generated by the general 3D pressure wave equation implemented using a finite element method. Various beam pulse widths (0.1–10 μs) were simulated by convolving the acoustic waves with Gaussian kernels. A realistic PZT ultrasound transducer (5 cm diameter) was simulated with a Butterworth bandpass filter with consideration of random noise based on a model of thermal noise in the transducer. The signal-to-noise ratio on a per-proton basis was calculated, determining the minimum number of protons required to generate a detectable pulse. The maximum spatial resolution of the proton-acoustic imaging modality was also estimated from the signal spectrum. Results: The calculated noise in the transducer was 12–28 mPa, depending on the transducer central frequency (70–380 kHz). The minimum number of protons detectable by the technique was on the order of 3–30 × 10{sup 6} per pulse, with 30–800 mGy dose per pulse at the Bragg peak. Wider pulses produced signal with lower acoustic frequencies, with 10 μs pulses producing signals with frequency less than 100 kHz. Conclusions: The proton-acoustic process was simulated using a realistic model and the minimal detection limit was established for proton-acoustic range validation. These limits correspond to a best case scenario with a single large detector with no losses and detector thermal noise as the sensitivity limiting factor. Our study indicated practical proton-acoustic

Purpose: Range verification in proton therapy using the proton-acoustic signal induced in the Bragg peak was investigated for typical clinical scenarios. The signal generation and detection processes were simulated in order to determine the signal-to-noise limits. Methods: An analytical model was used to calculate the dose distribution and local pressure rise (per proton) for beams of different energy (100 and 160 MeV) and spot widths (1, 5, and 10 mm) in a water phantom. In this method, the acoustic waves propagating from the Bragg peak were generated by the general 3D pressure wave equation implemented using a finite element method. Various beam pulse widths (0.1–10 μs) were simulated by convolving the acoustic waves with Gaussian kernels. A realistic PZT ultrasound transducer (5 cm diameter) was simulated with a Butterworth bandpass filter with consideration of random noise based on a model of thermal noise in the transducer. The signal-to-noise ratio on a per-proton basis was calculated, determining the minimum number of protons required to generate a detectable pulse. The maximum spatial resolution of the proton-acoustic imaging modality was also estimated from the signal spectrum. Results: The calculated noise in the transducer was 12–28 mPa, depending on the transducer central frequency (70–380 kHz). The minimum number of protons detectable by the technique was on the order of 3–30 × 106 per pulse, with 30–800 mGy dose per pulse at the Bragg peak. Wider pulses produced signal with lower acoustic frequencies, with 10 μs pulses producing signals with frequency less than 100 kHz. Conclusions: The proton-acoustic process was simulated using a realistic model and the minimal detection limit was established for proton-acoustic range validation. These limits correspond to a best case scenario with a single large detector with no losses and detector thermal noise as the sensitivity limiting factor. Our study indicated practical proton-acoustic range

The neutrino emission characteristics of the first full-scale three-dimensional supernova simulations with sophisticated three-flavor neutrino transport for three models with masses 11.2, 20 and 27 M_sun are evaluated in detail. All the studied progenitors show the expected hydrodynamical instabilities in the form of large-scale convective overturn. In addition, the recently identified LESA phenomenon (lepton-number emission self-sustained asymmetry) is generic for all our cases. Pronounced S...

This note describes the construction of a target for neutrino interactions composed of passive boron carbide plates interleaved with silicon microstrip detectors. The target contains four layers of passive material with a total mass of 45 kg and 600 single--sided silicon microstrip detectors with a total surface of 1.14 m$^2$ distributed over five layers. It is installed in the NOMAD spectrometer at the CERN SPS neutrino beam. During the 1997 run about 8000 \

In recent years, the old problem of cosmic-ray acceleration and propagation has become alive again, with the discovery of the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism, and with the first measurements of the cosmic-ray antiproton flux, which appears to be higher than expected. I have shown that the new acceleration mechanism was slow and I have calculated the maximum energy that can be reached by particles accelerated in various astrophysical sites. I have also studied in detail a cosmic-ray propagation model which takes into account the antiproton measurements. Neutrino astronomy is a field much more recent and in rapid expansion, thanks to a convergence of interests between astrophysicists and elementary particle physicists. Several large neutrino detectors already exist; really huge ones are in project. I have studied the possible impact of the high energy (> 1 TeV) neutrino astronomy on models of cosmic-ray sources such as Cygnus X3. Comparing the low energy (∼ 10 MeV) cosmic-ray antineutrinos with other sources of neutrinos and antineutrinos (sun, supernova, earth...), I have pointed out that the antineutrino background resulting from all the nuclear power-stations of the planet was sizeable. This background is a nuisance for some astrophysical applications but could be useful for studies on vacuum or matter neutrino oscillations (MSW effect). I have also examined the MSW effect in another context: the travel through the earth of neutrinos from the supernova explosion SN1987a

Ultrasound is an important imaging modality for biological systems. High-frequency ultrasound can also (e.g., via acoustical nonlinearities) be used to provide deeply penetrating and high-resolution imaging of vascular structure via catheterisation. The latter is an important diagnostic in vascular health. Typically, ultrasound requires sources and transducers that are greater than, or of order the same size as the wavelength of the acoustic wave. Here we design and theoretically demonstrate that single silver nanorods, acting as optical nonlinear dipole antennae, can be used to detect ultrasound via Brillouin light scattering from linear and nonlinear acoustic waves propagating in bulk water. The nanorods are tuned to operate on high-order plasmon modes in contrast to the usual approach of using fundamental plasmon resonances. The high-order operation also gives rise to enhanced optical third-harmonic generation, which provides an important method for exciting the higher-order Fabry-Perot modes of the dipole...

Liquid-filled perfluorocarbon droplets emit a unique acoustic signature when vaporized into gas-filled microbubbles using ultrasound. Here, we conducted a pilot study in a tissue-mimicking flow phantom to explore the spatial aspects of droplet vaporization and investigate the effects of applied pressure and droplet concentration on image contrast and axial and lateral resolution. Control microbubble contrast agents were used for comparison. A confocal dual-frequency transducer was used to transmit at 8 MHz and passively receive at 1 MHz. Droplet signals were of significantly higher energy than microbubble signals. This resulted in improved signal separation and high contrast-to-tissue ratios (CTR). Specifically, with a peak negative pressure (PNP) of 450 kPa applied at the focus, the CTR of B-mode images was 18.3 dB for droplets and -0.4 for microbubbles. The lateral resolution was dictated by the size of the droplet activation area, with lower pressures resulting in smaller activation areas and improved lateral resolution (0.67 mm at 450 kPa). The axial resolution in droplet images was dictated by the size of the initial droplet and was independent of the properties of the transmit pulse (3.86 mm at 450 kPa). In post-processing, time-domain averaging (TDA) improved droplet and microbubble signal separation at high pressures (640 kPa and 700 kPa). Taken together, these results indicate that it is possible to generate high-sensitivity, high-contrast images of vaporization events. In the future, this has the potential to be applied in combination with droplet-mediated therapy to track treatment outcomes or as a standalone diagnostic system to monitor the physical properties of the surrounding environment. PMID:26415125

We study the possibility of using CsI[Na] scintillators as an advantageous target for the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CENNS), using the neutrino emissions from the SNS spallation source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The response of this material to low-energy nuclear recoils like those expected from this process is characterized. Backgrounds are studied using a 2 kg low-background prototype crystal in a dedicated radiation shield. The conclusion is that a planned 14 kg detector should measure approximately 550 CENNS events per year above a demonstrated $\\sim7$ keVnr low-energy threshold, with a signal-to-background ratio sufficient for a first measurement of the CENNS cross-section. The cross-section for the $^{208}$Pb($\

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) has become endangered partly because of an increase in the number of collisions with boats. A device to alert boaters of the presence of manatees, so that a collision can be avoided, is desired. A practical implementation of the technology is dependent on the hydrophone spacing and range of detection. These parameters are primarily dependent on the manatee vocalization strength, the decay of the signal's strength with distance, and the background noise levels. An efficient method to extend the detection range by using background noise cancellation is proposed in this paper. An adaptive line enhancer (ALE) that can detect and track narrow band signals buried in broadband noise is implemented to cancel the background noise. The results indicate that the ALE algorithm can efficiently extract the manatee calls from the background noise. The improved signal-to-noise ratio of the signal can be used to extend the range of detection of manatee vocalizations and reduce the false alarm and missing detection rate in their natural habitat. .

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purpose underground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy (MH) as a primary physics goal. The excellent energy resolution and the large fiducial volume anticipated for the JUNO detector offer exciting opportunities for addressing many important topics in neutrino and astro-particle physics. In this document, we present the physics motivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for various proposed measurements. Following an introduction summarizing the current status and open issues in neutrino physics, we discuss how the detection of antineutrinos generated by a cluster of nuclear power plants allows the determination of the neutrino MH at a 3-4σ significance with six years of running of JUNO. The measurement of antineutrino spectrum with excellent energy resolution will also lead to the precise determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters {{sin}}2{θ }12, {{Δ }}{m}212, and | {{Δ }}{m}{ee}2| to an accuracy of better than 1%, which will play a crucial role in the future unitarity test of the MNSP matrix. The JUNO detector is capable of observing not only antineutrinos from the power plants, but also neutrinos/antineutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, including supernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and solar neutrinos. As a result of JUNO's large size, excellent energy resolution, and vertex reconstruction capability, interesting new data on these topics can be collected. For example, a neutrino burst from a typical core-collapse supernova at a distance of 10 kpc would lead to ˜5000 inverse-beta-decay events and ˜2000 all-flavor neutrino-proton ES events in JUNO, which are of crucial importance for understanding the mechanism of supernova explosion and for exploring novel phenomena such as collective neutrino oscillations

This report is a proposal by the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) collaboration to develop a world class laboratory for neutrino astrophysics. This observatory would contain a large volume heavy water detector which would have the potential to measure both the electron-neutrino flux from the sun and the total solar neutrino flux independent of neutrino type. It will therefore be possible to test models of solar energy generation and, independently, to search for neutrino oscillations with a sensitivity many orders of magnitude greater than that of terrestrial experiments. It will also be possible to search for spectral distortion produced by neutrino oscillations in the dense matter of the sun. Finally the proposed detector would be sensitive to neutrinos from a stellar collapse and would detectneutrinos of all types thus providing detailed information on the masses of muon- and tau-neutrinos. The neutrino detector would contain 1000 tons of D20 and would be located more than 2000 m below ground in the Creighton mine near Sudbury. The operation and performance of the proposed detector are described and the laboratory design is presented. Construction schedules and responsibilities and the planned program of technical studies by the SNO collaboration are outlined. Finally, the total capital cost is estimated to be $35M Canadian and the annual operating cost, after construction, would be $1.8 M Canadian, including the insurance costs of the heavy water

The 2002 year has been fruitful for the neutrino physics. First, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment has shown that the electron neutrinos νe emitted by the sun are converted into muon neutrinos (νμ) and tau neutrinos (ντ), thus closing the 30 years old problem of solar neutrinos deficit. This discovery validates the model of nuclear energy production inside the sun but it shakes the theory describing the weak interactions between the fundamental constituents of matter. This theory considers the neutrinos (and the photons) as massless particles, while the taste conversion phenomenon necessarily implies that neutrinos have a mass. In October 2000, the Universe exploration by the cosmic neutrinos is jointly recognized by R. Davis (USA) and M. Koshiba (Japan) who received the Nobel price of physics. Finally, in December 2000, the KamLAND experiment quantitatively demonstrated the neutrinos metamorphosis by detecting a deficit in the flux of electron antineutrinos coming from the surrounding Japanese nuclear reactors. This digest article describes step by step the epopee of solar neutrinos and shows how several generations of physicists have resolved one of the mystery of modern physics. (J.S.)

Aiming at the characteristics of acoustic transient signal emitted from antisubmarine weapon which is being dropped into water (torpedo, aerial sonobuoy and rocket assisted depth charge etc.), such as short duration, low SNR, abruptness and instability, based on traditional power-law detector, a new method to detectacoustic transient signal is proposed. Firstly wavelet transform is used to de-noise signal, removes random spectrum components and improves SNR. Then Power- Law detector is adopted to detect transient signal. The simulation results show the method can effectively extract envelop characteristic of transient signal on the condition of low SNR. The performance of WT-Power-Law markedly outgoes that of traditional Power-Law detection method.

This paper introduces a non-classical nonlinear acoustic theory for microcrack detection in materials,comparing contact nonlinearity with material nonlinearity.The paper's main work concentrates on the experimental and numerical verification of the effectivity of contact nonlinear acousticdetection by using the contact nonlinear parameter fl', which can be represented by the ratio of the second-harmonic amplitude to the square of the firstharmonic amplitude. Both experiments and numerical tests are performed. The results show that fl' is sensitive to the initiation of microcracks and varies with the development of the microcracks. The numerical test illustrates the decline offl' when microcracks penetrate each other.Kcywords microcrack detection, contact nonlinearity,numerical analysis

Application of PCR to multiplexing assays is not trivial; it requires multiple fluorescent labels for amplicon detection and sophisticated software for data interpretation. Alternative PCR-free methods exploiting new concepts in nanotechnology exhibit high sensitivities but require multiple labeling and/or amplification steps. Here, we propose to simplify the problem of simultaneous analysis of multiple targets in genetic assays by detecting directly the conformation, rather than mass, of target amplicons produced in the same PCR reaction. The new methodology exploits acoustic wave devices which are shown to be able to characterize in a fully quantitative manner multiple double stranded DNAs of various lengths. The generic nature of the combined acoustic/PCR platform is shown using real samples and, specifically, during the detection of SNP genotyping in Anopheles gambiae and gene expression quantification in treated mice. The method possesses significant advantages to TaqMan assay and real-time PCR regarding multiplexing capability, speed, simplicity and cost. PMID:23778520

Increasing awareness concerning food safety problems has been driving the search for simple and efficient bio-chemical analytical methods. In this paper, we develop a portable electro-acoustic biosensor based on a film bulk acoustic reso-nator for the detection of pesticide residues in agricultural products. A shear mode ZnO film bulk acoustic resonator with a mi-cro-machining structure was fabricated as a mass-sensitive transducer for the real-time detection of antibody-antigen reactions in liquids. In order to obtain an ultra-low detection level, the artificial antigens were immobilized on the sensing surface of the resonator to employ a competitive format for the immunoassays. The competitive immunoreactions can be observed clearly through monitoring the frequency changes. The presence of pesticides was detected through the diminution of the frequency shift compared with the level without pesticides. The limit of detection for carbaryl (a widely used pesticide for vegetables and crops) is 2´10-10 M. The proposed device represents a potential alternative to the complex optical systems and electrochemical methods that are currently being used, and represents a significant opportunity in terms of simplicity of use and portability for on-site food safety testing.

This thesis is devoted to studies on cosmic rays and neutrinos, particles astrophysically relevant. In recent years, the old problem of cosmic-ray acceleration and propagation has become alive again, with the discovery of the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism, and with the first measurements of the cosmic-ray antiproton flux, which appears to be higher than expected. I have shown that the new acceleration mechanism was slow and I have calculated the maximum energy that can be reached by particles accelerated in various astrophysical sites. I have also studied in detail a cosmic-ray propagation model which takes into account the antiproton measurements. Neutrino astronomy is a field much more recent and in rapid expansion, thanks to a convergence of interests between astrophysicists and elementary particle physicists. Several large neutrino detectors already exist; really huge ones are in project. I have studied the possible impact of the high energy (> 1 TeV) neutrino astronomy on models of cosmic-ray sources such as Cygnus X3. Comparing the low energy (∼ 10 MeV) cosmic-ray antineutrinos with other sources of neutrinos and antineutrinos (sun, supernova, earth ...), I have pointed out that the antineutrino background resulting from all the nuclear power-stations of the planet was sizeable. This background is a nuisance for some astrophysical applications but could be useful for studies on vacuum or matter neutrino oscillations (MSW effect). I have also examined the MSW effect in another context: the travel through the earth of neutrinos from the supernova explosion SN1987a

Considering the shortcomings of all the existing leak detecting principles, a new method again based on the measurement of the leak induced sound but also applying pattern recognition is being developed. The capability of neural networks to localize leaks at the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head of VVER-440 reactors is discussed. (orig./DG)

The ANTARES neutrino telescope is currently being constructed in the Mediterranean Sea. The complete detector will consist of 12 strings, supplemented by an additional instrumentation line. Nine strings are at present deployed of which five are already connected to the shore and operating. Each string is equipped with 75 Optical Modules (OMs) housing the photomultipliers to detect the Cherenkov light induced by the charged particles produced in neutrino reactions. An accurate measurement of the Cherenkov photon arrival times as well as the positions and orientations of the OMs is required for a precise reconstruction of the direction of the detectedneutrinos. For this purpose the ANTARES detector is provided with several system s to facilitate the calibration of the detector. The time calibration is performed using light pulses emitted from LED and laser devices. The positioning is done via acoustic triangulation using hydrophones. Additionally, local tilt angles and the orientations of the modules are measu...

The pipeline system is the most important part in media transport in order to deliver fluid to another station. The weak maintenance and poor safety will contribute to financial losses in term of fluid waste and environmental impacts. There are many classifications of techniques to make it easier to show their specific method and application. This paper's discussion about gas leak detection in pipeline system using acoustic method will be presented in this paper. The wave propagation in the pipeline is a key parameter in acoustic method when the leak occurs and the pressure balance of the pipe will generated by the friction between wall in the pipe. The signal processing is used to decompose the raw signal and show in time- frequency. Findings based on the acoustic method can be used for comparative study in the future. Acoustic signal and HHT is the best method to detect leak in gas pipelines. More experiments and simulation need to be carried out to get the fast result of leaking and estimation of their location.

The possibility of neutron and neutrinodetection using water Cerenkov detectors doped with gadolinium holds the promise of constructing very large high-efficiency detectors with wide-ranging application in basic science and national security. This study addressed two major concerns about the feasibility of such detectors: (1) the transparency of the doped water to the ultraviolet Cerenkov light, and (2) the effect of the doped water on detector materials. We report on the construction of a 19-meter water transparency measuring instrument and associated materials test tank. The first sensitive measurement of the transparency of doped water at 337nm has been made using this instrument (> 35 meters). This transparency is sufficient to proceed to the next stage of building a prototype detector. Materials testing is not yet complete, as materials must be soaked for a year or more to assess the effects. We have measured a 30% decrease in the attenuation length of 337 nm laser light after the addition of GdCl3 to pure water. The capability to measure at other wavelengths exists, and this will be done over the next few months by William Coleman, a student from LSU who will use this experiment as the topic for his Ph.D. thesis. This will provide crucial information needed to predict the behavior of gadolinium-doped water detectors vis-a-vis pure water ones. Final results will be also published in Nuclear Instrumentation and Methods (NIM) A after completion of his thesis. Our preliminary conclusion (assuming that longer wavelengths are no worse than the 337 nm measurement) is that small detectors of length scales 10 meters or less will not suffer significant light loss due to gadolinium chloride doping. Long-term effects, however, are still to be measured.

The possibility of neutron and neutrinodetection using water Cerenkov detectors doped with gadolinium holds the promise of constructing very large high-efficiency detectors with wide-ranging application in basic science and national security. This study addressed two major concerns about the feasibility of such detectors: (1) the transparency of the doped water to the ultraviolet Cerenkov light, and (2) the effect of the doped water on detector materials. We report on the construction of a 19-meter water transparency measuring instrument and associated materials test tank. The first sensitive measurement of the transparency of doped water at 337nm has been made using this instrument (> 35 meters). This transparency is sufficient to proceed to the next stage of building a prototype detector. Materials testing is not yet complete, as materials must be soaked for a year or more to assess the effects. We have measured a 30% decrease in the attenuation length of 337 nm laser light after the addition of GdCl3 to pure water. The capability to measure at other wavelengths exists, and this will be done over the next few months by William Coleman, a student from LSU who will use this experiment as the topic for his Ph.D. thesis. This will provide crucial information needed to predict the behavior of gadolinium-doped water detectors vis-a-vis pure water ones. Final results will be also published in Nuclear Instrumentation and Methods (NIM) A after completion of his thesis. Our preliminary conclusion (assuming that longer wavelengths are no worse than the 337 nm measurement) is that small detectors of length scales 10 meters or less will not suffer significant light loss due to gadolinium chloride doping. Long-term effects, however, are still to be measured.

Distinguishing a dark matter interaction from an astrophysical neutrino-induced interaction will be major challenge for future direct dark matter searches. In this paper, we consider this issue within nonrelativistic effective field theory (EFT), which provides a well-motivated theoretical framework for determining nuclear responses to dark matter scattering events. We analyze the nuclear energy recoil spectra from the different dark matter-nucleon EFT operators, and compare them to the nuclear recoil energy spectra that are predicted to be induced by astrophysical neutrino sources. We determine that for 11 of the 14 possible operators, the dark matter-induced recoil spectra can be cleanly distinguished from the corresponding neutrino-induced recoil spectra with moderate-size detector technologies that are now being pursued, e.g., these operators would require 0.5 tonne years to be distinguished from the neutrino background for low mass dark matter. Our results imply that in most models detectors with good energy resolution will be able to distinguish a dark matter signal from a neutrino signal, without the need for much larger detectors that must rely on additional information from timing or direction. In addition we calculate up-to-date exclusion limits in the EFT model space using data from the LUX experiment.

Detailed calculations are made of the neutrino spectra emitted during gravitational collapse events (Type II supernovae). Those aspects of the neutrino signal which are relatively independent of the collapse model and those aspects which are sensitive to model details are discussed. The easier-to-detect high energy tail of the emitted neutrinos has been calculated using the Boltzmann equation which is compared with the result of the traditional multi-group flux limited diffusion calculations. 8 figs., 28 refs

The reliability of 100 MHz scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM) for detecting internal voids in sintered specimens of silicon nitride and silicon carbide was evaluated. The specimens contained artificially implanted voids and were positioned at depths ranging up to 2 mm below the specimen surface. Detection probability of 0.90 at a 0.95 confidence level was determined as a function of material, void diameter, and void depth. The statistical results presented for void detectability indicate some of the strengths and limitations of SLAM as a nondestructive evaluation technique for structural ceramics.

The reliability of 100 MHz scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM) for detecting internal voids in sintered specimens of silicon nitride and silicon carbide was evaluated. The specimens contained artificially implanted voids and were positioned at depths ranging up to 2 mm below the specimen surface. Detection probability of 0.90 at a 0.95 confidence level was determined as a function of material, void diameter, and void depth. The statistical results presented for void detectability indicate some of the strengths and limitations of SLAM as a nondestructive evaluation technique for structural ceramics. 28 references.

We study electron-neutrino and electron-antineutrino signals from a supernova with strong magnetic field detected by a 100 kton liquid Ar detector. The change of neutrino flavors by resonant spin-flavor conversions, matter effects, and neutrino self-interactions are taken into account. Different neutrino signals, characterized by neutronization burst event and the total event numbers of electron-neutrinos and electron-antineutrinos, are expected with different neutrino oscillation parameters and neutrino magnetic moment. Observations of supernova neutrino signals by a 100 kton liquid Ar detector would constrain oscillation parameters as well as neutrino magnetic moment in either normal and inverted mass hierarchies.

This report is a compilation of papers reflecting current trends in non-accelerator particle physics, corresponding to talks that its author was invited to present at the Workshop on Tibet Cosmic Ray Experiment and Related Physics Topics held in Beijing, China, April 4--13, 1995. The papers are entitled 'Neutrino Mass and Oscillation', 'High Energy Neutrino Astrophysics', 'Detection of Dark Matter', 'Search for Strange Quark Matter', and 'Magnetic Monopole Searches'. The report is introduced by a survey of the field and a brief description of each of the author's papers

This report is a compilation of papers reflecting current trends in non-accelerator particle physics, corresponding to talks that its author was invited to present at the Workshop on Tibet Cosmic Ray Experiment and Related Physics Topics held in Beijing, China, April 4--13, 1995. The papers are entitled `Neutrino Mass and Oscillation`, `High Energy Neutrino Astrophysics`, `Detection of Dark Matter`, `Search for Strange Quark Matter`, and `Magnetic Monopole Searches`. The report is introduced by a survey of the field and a brief description of each of the author`s papers.

The mechanical interaction between the induced seismic waves and landmines was analyzed according to acoustic-to-seismic coupling theory. And a geophone array based exper-imental system for landmine detection was developed. By modeling a compliant mine and the soil on top of the mine as a mass-spring system, analytic method was adopted to study the resonance mechanism of the system. A loudspeaker was employed as energy source to excite a swept sine tone over the soil. We also used a geophone array to measure the vibration velocity of the ground surface. In order to analysis the landmine effect on the surface vibration, the magnitude spectra curves of the measured velocity values on-and-off mine were plotted. The results showed that the data measured on mine is much bigger than that off target and the proposed system can be applied to further investigation of acoustic landmines detection.

This review presents the scientific objectives and status of Neutrino Telescope Projects. The science program of these projects covers: neutrino astronomy, dark matter searches and measurements of neutrino oscillations. The two neutrino telescopes in operation: AMANDA and BAIKAL will be described together with the ANTARES neutrino telescope being built in the Mediterranean. (18 refs).

Recent commercialisation of seedless watermelon varieties relies on the guarantee of a high quality product. Several internal defects may deteriorate greatly this fruit: (a) creases and/or large voids in the flesh, (b) overripeness and (c) bruises due to impact. The objective of this research was to develop a feasible non-destructive procedure for detecting these defects in individual fruits, based on acoustic impulse response. A device consisting of a microphone, structural elements and a...

In order to detect cracks in railroad tracks, various experiments have been examined by Acoustic Emission (AE) method. However, little work has been done on studying rail defect detection at high speed. This paper presents a study on AE detection of rail defect at high speed based on rail-wheel test rig. Meanwhile, Wavelet Transform and Shannon entropy are employed to detect defects. Signals with and without defects are acquired, and characteristic frequencies from them at different speeds are analyzed. Based on appropriate decomposition level and Energy-to-Shannon entropy ratio, the optimal wavelet is selected. In order to suppress noise effects and ensure appropriate time resolution, the length of time window is investigated. Further, the characteristic frequency of time window is employed to detect defect. The results clearly illustrate that the proposed method can detect rail defect at high speed effectively.

Full Text Available We investigated how listeners perceive the temporal relationship of a light-flash and a complex acoustic signal. The stimulus mimics ubiquitous events in busy scenes which are manifested as a change in the pattern of on-going fluctuation. Detecting pattern emergence inherently requires integration over time; resulting in such events being detected later than when they occurred. How does delayed detection-time affect the perception of such events relative to other events in the scene? To model these situations, we use rapid sequences of tone-pips with a time-frequency pattern that changes from random to regular (‘REG-RAND’ or vice versa (‘RAND-REG’. REG-RAND transitions are detected rapidly, but RAND-REG take longer to detect (~880ms post nominal-transition. Using a Temporal Order Judgment task, we instructed subjects to indicate whether the flash appeared before or after the acoustic transition. The point of subjective simultaneity between the flash and RAND-REG does not occur at the point of detection (~880ms post nominal-transition but ~470ms closer to the nominal acoustic-transition. In a second experiment we halved the tone-pip duration. The resulting pattern of performance was qualitatively similar to that in Experiment 1, but scaled by half. Our results indicates that the brain possesses mechanisms that survey the proximal history of an on-going stimulus and automatically adjust perception so as to compensate for prolonged detection time, thus producing more accurate representations of scene dynamics. However, this re-adjustment is not complete.

Complete text of publication follows. The ground - lower atmosphere - thermosphere (ionosphere) coupling effects through acoustic resonance have been observed, for example, for the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 (Kanamori and Mori, 1992) and the great 2004 Sumatra earthquake (Iyemori et al., 2005). In the Mt. Pinatubo case, it was assumed that the acoustic wave (i.e., pressure variation) caused a very low frequency oscillation of the ground observed worldwide. However, a volcanic eruption or earthquake can also cause the ground oscillation directly. The ground oscillation may cause atmospheric oscillations but with a complicated causality. In the case of typhoons when the resonance effects have been detected, the ocean waves also make the situation complicated. When a total eclipse occurs, the rapid pressure variations, caused by the rapid decrease of temperature may also generate the acoustic resonance, however, in this case, the situation is expected to be simpler than for volcanic eruptions. This situation provides better conditions for quantitative modeling of the acoustic resonance effects. On July 22, 2009, a total eclipse will be observed along a band from China, Iwo Island, and through the Tokara Islands, south of Japan. We plan to make barometric, geomagnetic, GPS-TEC and HF Doppler observations at several points along the eclipse path. In this paper, we show some results of analysis of the data obtained from the total eclipses in the past and preliminary results of the observations from the July 22, 2009 event.

An acoustic-to-seismic system to detect buried antipersonnel mines exploits airborne acoustic waves penetrating the surface of the ground. Acoustic waves radiating from a sound source above the ground excite Biot type I and II compressional waves in the porous soil. The type I wave and type II waves refract toward the normal and cause air and soil particle motion. If a landmine is buried below the surface of the insonified area, these waves are scattered or reflected by the target, resulting in distinct changes to the acoustically coupled ground motion. A scanning laser Doppler vibrometer measures the motion of the ground surface. In the past, this technique has been employed with remarkable success in locating antitank mines during blind field tests [Sabatier and Xiang, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens. 39, 1146-1154 (2001)]. The humanitarian demining mission requires an ability to locate antipersonnel mines, requiring a surmounting of additional challenges due to a plethora of shapes and smaller sizes. This paper describes an experimental study on the methods used to locate antipersonnel landmines in recent field measurements. PMID:12656368

Neutrino properties can be constrained by the detection of ultra-high energy cosmic neutrinos (UHECNs). By using the updated global fitting results of neutrino mixing parameters, we present predictions on the neutrino flavor ratios at the Earth from three possibly astrophysical sources. Comparing with the latest IceCube data, we find that the normal hierarchy (NH) and inverted hierarchy (IH) cases from the initial ratios $\\phi_{\

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a multipurpose neutrino-oscillation experiment designed to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy and to precisely measure oscillation parameters by detecting reactor antineutrinos, observe supernova neutrinos, study the atmospheric, solar neutrinos and geo-neutrinos, and perform exotic searches, with a 20 kiloton liquid scintillator detector of unprecedented $3\\%$ energy resolution (at 1 MeV) at 700-meter deep underground and to have other rich scientific possibilities. Currently MC study shows a sensitivity of the mass hierarchy to be $\\overline{\\Delta\\chi^2}\\sim 11$ and $\\overline{\\Delta\\chi^2}\\sim 16$ in a relative and an absolute measurement, respectively. JUNO has been approved by Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2013, and an international collaboration was established in 2014. The civil construction is in preparation and the R$\\&$D of the detectors are ongoing. A new offline software framework was developed for the detector simulation, the event ...

NOMAD (Neutrino Oscillation Magnetic Detector), devoted to the observation of tau neutrino interactions in case of neutrino flavour oscillations, was optimised in order to get an excellent identification of electrons coming from tau decays. Amongst the real events, identified as muon neutrino interactions, we select events including one muon and one positron candidate. We then reduce the number of events for which a hadron simulates the positron, and a method based on a likelihood rate allows us to select events for which the positron, lost in the hadronic jet, comes from the decay of a quark charm, and eliminates those for which the positron comes from photon conversions or Dalitz decays. From the extracted signal, we are able to estimate the mass of the charm quark and the strange sea content of the nucleon, by comparison with a Monte Carlo simulation based on the latest CCFR results. We also carried out a technical study on a possible identification of electrons using the specific behaviour of their tracks left in the drift chambers. We showed that we can get some discrimination power using variables given by the Kalman filter used for track fitting. (author)

In collaboration with scientists from institutions in the United States and Europe, researchers from the College of Science at Virginia Tech have observed tell-tale signals of neutrinos emitted by thermonuclear fusion reactions that power the sun deep in its interior.

A guaranteed source of neutrinos is the production in cosmic ray interactions with the interstellar matter in our Galaxy. The signal has never been detected however and only an upper limit on this flux of neutrinos has been published by the AMANDA-II detector. The ANTARES neutrino telescope, located

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is a water imaging Cherenkov detector. Its usage of 1000 metric tons of D2O as target allows the SNO detector to make a solar-model independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by simultaneously measuring the solar νe flux and the total flux of all active neutrino species. Solar neutrinos from the decay of 8B have been detected at SNO by the charged-current (CC) interaction on the deuteron and by the elastic scattering (ES) of electrons. While the CC reaction is sensitive exclusively to νe, the ES reaction also has a small sensitivity to νμ and ντ. In this paper, recent solar neutrino results from the SNO experiment are presented. It is demonstrated that the solar flux from 8B decay as measured from the ES reaction rate under the no-oscillation assumption is consistent with the high precision ES measurement by the Super-Kamiokande experiment. The νe flux deduced from the CC reaction rate in SNO differs from the Super-Kamiokande ES results by 3.3σ. This is evidence for an active neutrino component, in additional to νe, in the solar neutrino flux. These results also allow the first experimental determination of the total active 8B neutrino flux from the Sun, and is found to be in good agreement with solar model predictions

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is a water imaging Cherenkov detector. Its usage of 1000 metric tons of D{sub 2}O as target allows the SNO detector to make a solar-model independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by simultaneously measuring the solar {nu}{sub e} flux and the total flux of all active neutrino species. Solar neutrinos from the decay of {sup 8}B have been detected at SNO by the charged-current (CC) interaction on the deuteron and by the elastic scattering (ES) of electrons. While the CC reaction is sensitive exclusively to {nu}{sub e}, the ES reaction also has a small sensitivity to {nu}{sub {mu}} and {nu}{sub {tau}}. In this paper, recent solar neutrino results from the SNO experiment are presented. It is demonstrated that the solar flux from {sup 8}B decay as measured from the ES reaction rate under the no-oscillation assumption is consistent with the high precision ES measurement by the Super-Kamiokande experiment. The {nu}{sub e} flux deduced from the CC reaction rate in SNO differs from the Super-Kamiokande ES results by 3.3{sigma}. This is evidence for an active neutrino component, in additional to {nu}{sub e}, in the solar neutrino flux. These results also allow the first experimental determination of the total active {sup 8}B neutrino flux from the Sun, and is found to be in good agreement with solar model predictions.

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is a water imaging Cherenkov detector. Its usage of 1000 metric tons of D{sub 2}O as target allows the SNO detector to make a solar-model independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by simultaneously measuring the solar {nu}{sub e} flux and the total flux of all active neutrino species. Solar neutrinos from the decay of {sup 8}B have been detected at SNO by the charged-current (CC) interaction on the deuteron and by the elastic scattering (ES) of electrons. While the CC reaction is sensitive exclusively to {nu}{sub e}, the ES reaction also has a small sensitivity to {nu}{sub {mu}} and {nu}{sub {tau}}. In this paper, recent solar neutrino results from the SNO experiment are presented. It is demonstrated that the solar flux from {sup 8}B decay as measured from the ES reaction rate under the no-oscillation assumption is consistent with the high precision ES measurement by the Super-Kamiokande experiment. The {nu}{sub e} flux deduced from the CC reaction rate in SNO differs from the Super-Kamiokande ES results by 3.3{sigma}. This is evidence for an active neutrino component, in additional to {nu}{sub e}, in the solar neutrino flux. These results also allow the first experimental determination of the total active {sup 8}B neutrino flux from the Sun, and is found to be in good agreement with solar model predictions.

[EN] Neutrino astronomy is a booming field in astroparticle physics. Due to the particular characteristics of neutrinos, these particles offer great advantages as probes for the study of the far and high-energy Universe. It is extensively accepted by the scientific community that a multi-messenger approach with the combination of information provided by neutrinos, photons and charged particles (cosmic rays) is possible to obtain a more complete image of the fundamental astrophysics processes ...

For realization of leak detection of input pipelines and output pipelines of RBMK reactor the method, based on detection and control of acoustic leak signals, was designed. In this report the review of methods of processing and analysis of acoustic noise is submitted. These methods were included in the software of the leak detection system and are used for the decision of the following problems: leak detection by method of sound pressure level in conditions of powerful background noise and strong attenuation of a signal; detection of a small leak in early stage by high-sensitivity correlation method; determination of a point of a sound source in conditions of strong reflection of a signal by a correlation method and sound pressure method; evaluation of leak size by the analysis of a sound level and point of a sound source. The work of considered techniques is illustrated on an example of test results of a fragment of the leak detection system. This test was executed on a Leningrad NPP, operated at power levels of 460, 700, 890 and 1000 MWe. 16 figs

We present how a neutrino condensate and small neutrino masses emerge from a topological formulation of gravitational anomaly. We first recapitulate how a gravitational θ -term leads to the emergence of a new bound neutrino state analogous to the η' meson of QCD. Then we show the consequent formation of a neutrino vacuum condensate, which effectively generates small neutrino masses. Afterwards we outline numerous phenomenological consequences of our neutrino mass generation model. The cosmological neutrino mass bound vanishes since we predict the neutrinos to be massless until the phase transition in the late Universe, T ˜meV . Coherent radiation of new light particles in the neutrino sector can be detected in prospective precision experiments. Deviations from an equal flavor rate due to enhanced neutrino decays in extraterrestrial neutrino fluxes can be observed in future IceCube data. These neutrino decays may also necessitate modified analyses of the original neutrino spectra of the supernova SN 1987A. The current cosmological neutrino background only consists of the lightest neutrinos, which, due to enhanced neutrino-neutrino interactions, either bind up, form a superfluid, or completely annihilate into massless bosons. Strongly coupled relic neutrinos could provide a contribution to cold dark matter in the late Universe, together with the new proposed particles and topological defects, which may have formed during neutrino condensation. These enhanced interactions could also be a source of relic neutrino clustering in our Galaxy, which possibly makes the overdense cosmic neutrino background detectable in the KATRIN experiment. The neutrino condensate provides a mass for the hypothetical B -L gauge boson, leading to a gravity-competing force detectable in short-distance measurements. Prospective measurements of the polarization intensities of gravitational waves can falsify our neutrino mass generation model.

We will review the production of neutrinos with PeV energies and above. Discussing two possible sources of this radiation: the propagation of ultra high energy cosmic rays and the decay of super heavy dark matter. The discussion will focus on the theoretical expectations on neutrino fluxes and on the detection capabilities of present and future experiments.

The proton light output function in electron-equivalent energy of various scintillators based on linear alkylbenzene (LAB) has been measured in the energy range from 1 MeV to 17.15 MeV for the first time. The measurement was performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) using a neutron beam with continuous energy distribution. The proton light output data is extracted from proton recoil spectra originating from neutron-proton scattering in the scintillator. The functional behavior of the proton light output is described succesfully by Birks' law with a Birks constant kB between (0.0094 +/- 0.0002) cm/MeV and (0.0098 +/- 0.0003) cm/MeV for the different LAB solutions. The constant C, parameterizing the quadratic term in the generalized Birks law, is consistent with zero for all investigated scintillators with an upper limit (95% CL) of about 10^{-7} cm^2/MeV^2. The resulting quenching factors are especially important for future planned supernova neutrinodetection based on the elastic scattering...

We discuss the field-theoretical approach to neutrino oscillations. This approach includes the neutrino source and detector processes and allows to obtain the neutrino transition or survival probabilities as cross sections derived from the Feynman diagram of the combined source -- detection process. In this context, the neutrinos which are supposed to oscillate appear as propagators of the neutrino mass eigenfields, connecting the source and detection processes.

An upper bound to the supernova relic neutrino background from all past Type II supernovae is obtained using observations of the Universal metal enrichment history. We show that an unambiguous detection of these relic neutrinos by the Super-Kamiokande detector is unlikely. We also analyze the event rate in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (where coincident neutrons from anti-nu_e + D --> n + n + e+ might enhance background rejection), and arrive at the same conclusion. If the relic neutrino f...

The reliability of scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM) for detecting surface voids in structural ceramic test specimens was statistically evaluated. Specimens of sintered silicon nitride and sintered silicon carbide, seeded with surface voids, were examined by SLAM at an ultrasonic frequency of 100 MHz in the as fired condition and after surface polishing. It was observed that polishing substantially increased void detectability. Voids as small as 100 micrometers in diameter were detected in polished specimens with 0.90 probability at a 0.95 confidence level. In addition, inspection times were reduced up to a factor of 10 after polishing. The applicability of the SLAM technique for detection of naturally occurring flaws of similar dimensions to the seeded voids is discussed. A FORTRAN program listing is given for calculating and plotting flaw detection statistics. 20 references.

Full text: Some industrial nuclear power objects are very attractive for the realization of radiological and chemical terrorism acts with using of explosives. Although up today this type of terrorism is not revealed itself, but the problem of detection of explosives at these objects is becoming very actual one, for example, in connection with the implementation of the urgent decommissioning of nuclear powered vessels. Such decommissioning includes the utilization the dangerous radioactive and chemical elements, contained in submarines and vessels. This actual problem is existed not only in Russia, but also in abroad. It is noticed that catastrophes at these objects will have in addition the great negative mental effect on population of all over the world, as it was after the Chernobyl accident. The using of the modern nuclear physics methods for detection and analysis of explosives is connected with the following difficulties: (1) we have to have the unique and the expensive equipment; (2) the special preparation of sample probes; (3) a long time is often necessary for analysis; (4) the high qualification of service personal is needed. We proposed to use for these purposes the complex of acoustic techniques, that are based on the high sensitivity of acoustic characteristics of any matter to their physical and chemical properties.Any acoustic signal has the following main parameters: (1) frequency (ω); (2) amplitude of pressure (ρ); (3) wave and amplitude bands; (4) velocity of acoustic wave propagation (sound velocity) (C); (5) space and temporal signal evolution, that is determined by the values of coefficients of temporal attenuation (α), space adsorption (β) and sound dispersion on obstacles and impurities. Our acoustic analysis is included the determination of C, α and β values for solid and liquid explosives. The exact measurements of these parameters and their dependences from frequency and temperature are conducted in the special acoustic cells, that

An acoustic method based on pattern recognition is being developed. During the learning phase, the localization classifier is trained with sound patterns that are generated with simulated leaks at all locations endangered by leak. The patterns are extracted from the signals of an appropriate sensor array. After training unknown leak positions can be recognized through comparison with the training patterns. The experimental part is performed at an acoustic 1:3 model of the reactor vessel and head and at an original VVER-440 reactor in the former NPP Greifswald. The leaks were simulated at the vessel head using mobile sound sources driven either by compressed air, a piezoelectric transmitter or by a thin metal blade excited through a jet of compressed air. The sound patterns of the simulated leaks are simultaneously detected with an AE-sensor array and with high frequency microphones measuring structure-borne sound and airborne sound, respectively. Pattern classifiers based on Fuzzy Pattern Classification (FPC) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are currently tested for validation of the acoustic emission-sensor array (FPC), leak localization via structure-borne sound (FPC) and the leak localization using microphones (ANN). The initial results show the used classifiers principally to be capable of detecting and locating leaks, but they also show that further investigations are necessary to develop a reliable method applicable at NPPs. (orig./HP)

Measurements of the acoustic impedance of an anti-personnel and anti-tank plastic, blast-hardened landmines reveal resonances in the frequency range between 100 and 1000 Hz. The top surface resonances are due to its complicated mechanical structure vibrating in air. The lowest mode results from the blast hardened design of the landmine. Typically, a portion or cavity of the landmine is designed to absorb the shock from an explosion that is intended to detonate the landmine but still allow the landmine to trigger its explosive device when a slow steady pressure is applied. The mechanical design of the blast hardened aspects results in a high Q simple harmonic oscillator resonance of the top surface. At higher frequencies the top surface behaves like thin circular plate acoustic modes. When these landmines are buried in soils, the modes are mass loaded. Resonances from measurements of the normal component of the acoustically induced soil surface particle velocity are used for detection schemes. Since the interface between the top plate and the soil responds to pressure fluctuations nonlinearly, characteristics of landmines, the soil, and the interface are rich in nonlinear physics and allow for new methods of landmine detection not previously exploited.

Low frequency under-water acoustic signal detections are challenging, especially for marine applications. A Mach-Zehnder interferometric hydrophone is demonstrated using polarization-maintaining photonic-crystal-fiber (PM-PCF), spliced between two single-mode-fibers, operated at 1550 nm source. These data are compared with standard hydrophone, single-mode and multimode fiber. The PM-PCF sensor shows the highest response with a power shift (2.32 dBm) and a wavelength shift (392.8 pm) at 200 Hz. High birefringence values and the effect of the imparted acoustic pressure on this fiber, introducing the difference between the fast and slow axis changes, owing to the phase change in the propagation waves, demonstrate the strain-optic properties of the sensor.

Low frequency under-water acoustic signal detections are challenging, especially for marine applications. A Mach-Zehnder interferometric hydrophone is demonstrated using polarization-maintaining photonic-crystal-fiber (PM-PCF), spliced between two single-mode-fibers, operated at 1550 nm source. These data are compared with standard hydrophone, single-mode and multimode fiber. The PM-PCF sensor shows the highest response with a power shift (2.32 dBm) and a wavelength shift (392.8 pm) at 200 Hz. High birefringence values and the effect of the imparted acoustic pressure on this fiber, introducing the difference between the fast and slow axis changes, owing to the phase change in the propagation waves, demonstrate the strain-optic properties of the sensor

An attempt is made to detect and analyze acoustic emissions from cyclic crack growth in SA 533 grade B steel in the simulated BWR water environment. Significant levels of signals caused by the environment-enhanced crack growth were obtained through appropriate noise reduction techniques. By reducing the frictional noises between the loading pins and the specimen, as well as characterizing the spectrum of signals emitted from various sources, discrete signal identification was made possible. The following empirical relationship was obtained between the energy of emission and the crack growth rate: da/dN = C(dΣE sub(AE)/mm/dN)sup(n) where C and n are material constant and exponent respectively. The possibility of utilizing this type of acoustic emission technique was also discussed in relation to future continuous monitoring of operating nuclear plants. (author)

This issue is devoted to the neutrino and its remaining mysteries. It is divided into the following areas: (1) The Reines-Cowan experiment -- detecting the poltergeist; (2) The oscillating neutrino -- an introduction to neutrino masses and mixing; (3) A brief history of neutrino experiments at LAMPF; (4) A thousand eyes -- the story of LSND (Los Alamos neutrino oscillation experiment); (5) The evidence for oscillations; (6) The nature of neutrinos in muon decay and physics beyond the Standard Model; (7) Exorcising ghosts -- in pursuit of the missing solar neutrinos; (8) MSW -- a possible solution to the solar neutrino problem; (8) Neutrinos and supernovae; and (9) Dark matter and massive neutrinos.

This issue is devoted to the neutrino and its remaining mysteries. It is divided into the following areas: (1) The Reines-Cowan experiment -- detecting the poltergeist; (2) The oscillating neutrino -- an introduction to neutrino masses and mixing; (3) A brief history of neutrino experiments at LAMPF; (4) A thousand eyes -- the story of LSND (Los Alamos neutrino oscillation experiment); (5) The evidence for oscillations; (6) The nature of neutrinos in muon decay and physics beyond the Standard Model; (7) Exorcising ghosts -- in pursuit of the missing solar neutrinos; (8) MSW -- a possible solution to the solar neutrino problem; (8) Neutrinos and supernovae; and (9) Dark matter and massive neutrinos

Full Text Available We present an approach to study neutrino electromagnetic properties by simulating neutrino oscillation in both dense background matter and external electromagnetic field in terms of trapped coupling ions. We find that the neutrino and anti-neutrino productions can be simulated by using large enough diagonal matter potentials and external magnetic field. We further show that the transition probabilities of flavor neutrino have rich features and time scales corresponding to the neutrino magnetic moments and electric millicharges. Especially, such features and scales can be achieved by tuning the laser parameters. At last, we show that the millicharge and magnetic moments can be detected in terms of flavor neutrino transition probabilities in the trapped ion system. Our approach provides a useful clue to measure the neutrino electromagnetic properties for experimental realization.

These lectures offer a self-contained review of the role of neutrinos in cosmology. The first part deals with the question 'What is a neutrino.' and describes in a historical context the theoretical ideas and experimental discoveries related to the different types of neutrinos and their properties. The basic differences between the Dirac neutrino and the Majorana neutrino are pointed out and the evidence for different neutrino 'flavours', neutrino mass, and neutrino oscillations is discussed. The second part summarizes current views on cosmology, particularly as they are affected by recent theoretical and experimental advances in high-energy particle physics. Finally, the close relationship between neutrino physics and cosmology is brought out in more detail, to show how cosmological constraints can limit the various theoretical possibilities for neutrinos and, more particularly, how increasing knowledge of neutrino properties can contribute to our understanding of the origin, history, and future of the Universe. The level is that of the beginning graduate student. (orig.)

We have found a radio-wave-reflection effect in rock salt for the detection of ultra-high energy neutrinos which are expected to be generated in Greisen, Zatsepin, and Kuzmin (GZK) processes in the universe. When an UHE neutrino interacts with rock salt or ice as a detection medium, a shower is generated. That shower is formed by hadronic and electromagnetic avalanche processes. The energy of the UHE neutrino shower converts to thermal energy through ionization processes. Consequently, the temperature rises along the shower produced by the UHE neutrino. The refractive index of the medium rises with temperature. The irregularity of the refractive index in the medium leads to a reflection of radio waves. This reflection effect combined with the long attenuation length of radio waves in rock salt and ice would yield a new method to detect UHE neutrinos. We measured the phase of the reflected radio wave under irradiation with an electron beam on ice and rock salt powder. The measured phase showed excellent consis...

This review paper provides a summary of the published results of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment that was carried out by an international scientific collaboration with data collected during the period from 1999 to 2006. By using heavy water as a detection medium, the SNO experiment demonstrated clearly that solar electron neutrinos from $^8$B decay in the solar core change into other active neutrino flavors in transit to Earth. The reaction on deuterium that has equal sensitivity to all active neutrino flavors also provides a very accurate measure of the initial solar flux for comparison with solar models. This review summarizes the results from three phases of solar neutrinodetection as well as other physics results obtained from analyses of the SNO data.

This review paper provides a summary of the published results of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment that was carried out by an international scientific collaboration with data collected during the period from 1999 to 2006. By using heavy water as a detection medium, the SNO experiment demonstrated clearly that solar electron neutrinos from 8B decay in the solar core change into other active neutrino flavors in transit to Earth. The reaction on deuterium that has equal sensitivity to all active neutrino flavors also provides a very accurate measure of the initial solar flux for comparison with solar models. This review summarizes the results from three phases of solar neutrinodetection as well as other physics results obtained from analyses of the SNO data.

A Monte-Carlo simulation code was described for simulation of Earth skimming tau-neutrinos. The Earth density and composition profile, charged/neutral current interaction, energy loss of tau leptons, and tau decay are all included in the code. This paper compares the tau spectrum calculated from two methods, analytical formula and Monte-Carlo simulation. the results consistent with each other, which proves the algorithms are all correct in this simulation code.

Analysis of acoustic signals recorded from the U.S. Navy's SOund SUrveillance System (SOSUS) was used to detect and locate blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) calls offshore in the northeast Pacific. The long, low-frequency components of these calls are characteristic of calls recorded in the presence of blue whales elsewhere in the world. Mean values for frequency and time characteristics from field-recorded blue whale calls were used to develop a simple matched filter for detecting such calls in noisy time series. The matched filter was applied to signals from three different SOSUS arrays off the coast of the Pacific Northwest to detect and associate individual calls from the same animal on the different arrays. A U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft was directed to an area where blue whale calls had been detected on SOSUS using these methods, and the presence of vocalizing blue whale was confirmed at the site with field recordings from sonobuoys. PMID:9857519

Nonlinear guided waves have been studied extensively for the characterization of micro-damage in plate-like structures, such as early-stage fatigue and thermal degradation in metals. Meanwhile, an increasing number of studies have reported the use of nonlinear acoustic techniques for detection of impact damage, fatigue, and thermal fatigue in composite structures. Among these techniques, the (relative) acoustic nonlinearity parameter, extracted from acousto-ultrasonic waves based on second-harmonic generation, has been considered one of the most popular tools for quantifying the detection of nonlinearity in inspected structures. Considering the complex nature of nonlinearities involved in composite materials (even under healthy conditions), and operational/environmental variability and measurement noise, the calculation of the relative acoustic nonlinearity parameter (RANP) from experimental data may suffer from considerable uncertainties, which may impair the quality of damage detection. In this study, we aim to quantify the uncertainty of the magnitude of the RANP estimator in the context of impact damage identification in unidirectional carbon fiber laminates. First, the principles of nonlinear ultrasonics are revisited briefly. A general probability density function of the RANP is then obtained through numerical evaluation in a theoretical setting. Using piezoelectric wavers, continuous sine waves are generated in the sample. Steady-state responses are acquired and processed to produce histograms of the RANP estimates before and after the impact damage. These observed histograms are consistent with the predicted distributions, and examination of the distributions demonstrates the significance of uncertainty quantification when using the RANP for damage detection in composite structures.

The prediction and verification of the neutrino are reviewed, together with the V A theory for its interactions (particularly the difficulties with the apparent existence of two neutrinos and the high energy cross section). The Brookhaven experiment confirming the existence of two neutrinos and the cross section increase with momentum is then described, and future neutrino experiments are considered. (D.C.W.)

A chemical sensing system based on arrays of surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay lines has been developed for identification and quantification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The individual SAW chemical sensors consist of interdigital transducers patterned on the surface of an ST-cut quartz substrate to launch and detect the acoustic waves and a thin film coating in the SAW propagation path to perturb the acoustic wave velocity and attenuation during analyte sorption. A diverse set of material coatings gives the sensor arrays a degree of chemical sensitivity and selectivity. Materials examined for sensor application include the alkanethiol-based self-assembled monolayer, plasma-processed films, custom-synthesized conventional polymers, dendrimeric polymers, molecular recognition materials, electroplated metal thin films, and porous metal oxides. All of these materials target a specific chemical fi.mctionality and the enhancement of accessible film surface area. Since no one coating provides absolute analyte specificity, the array responses are further analyzed using a visual-empirical region-of-influence (VERI) pattern recognition algorithm. The chemical sensing system consists of a seven-element SAW array with accompanying drive and control electronics, sensor signal acquisition electronics, environmental vapor sampling hardware, and a notebook computer. Based on data gathered for individual sensor responses, greater than 93%-accurate identification can be achieved for any single analyte from a group of 17 VOCs and water.

A total of 43 patients with surgically identified acoustic neuromas were tested. Results of early auditory evoked potentials (EAEP) and of neuroradiological methods were analysed. Abnormal EAEPs were observed in all patients. In 73% of the cases the EAEP indicated the retrocochlear site of the lesion; in 27%, however, the results did not localize the exact site of the lesion owing to a lack of waves I, II and III due to a pronounced hearing loss. Neuroradiological procedures provided an indication of the site and extent of the tumour. The number of true positives was 21 of 29 cases with polytomography of the petrous bone, 23 of 28 with computed tomography and in all cases when pontine angle cisternography and computed tomography combined with gas cisternography were performed. The EAEPs provide a screening-test for acoustic tumour detection at an early stage. Wave abnormalities indicative of a lesion at the acoustic nerve should lead to a neuroradiological investigation and are particularly valuable in cases with small intracanalicular tumours. (orig.)

We explore the possibility of a neutrino oscillation experiment with a very long baseline in the range of $6500\\ \\rm km$ and a neutrino beam produced by the decays of muons circulating in a storage ring. The recent developments in view of muon colliders allow us to envisage neutrino sources of a sufficiently high intensity. We first consider $\

The rapid autonomous detection of pathogenic microorganisms and bioagents by field deployable platforms is critical to human health and safety. To achieve a high level of sensitivity for fluidic detection applications, we have developed a 330 MHz Love wave acoustic biosensor on 36{sup o} YX Lithium Tantalate (LTO). Each die has four delay-line detection channels, permitting simultaneous measurement of multiple analytes or for parallel detection of single analyte containing samples. Crucial to our biosensor was the development of a transducer that excites the shear horizontal (SH) mode, through optimization of the transducer, minimizing propagation losses and reducing undesirable modes. Detection was achieved by comparing the reference phase of an input signal to the phase shift from the biosensor using an integrated electronic multi-readout system connected to a laptop computer or PDA. The Love wave acoustic arrays were centered at 330 MHz, shifting to 325-328 MHz after application of the silicon dioxide waveguides. The insertion loss was -6 dB with an out-of-band rejection of 35 dB. The amplitude and phase ripple were 2.5 dB p-p and 2-3{sup o} p-p, respectively. Time-domain gating confirmed propagation of the SH mode while showing suppression of the triple transit. Antigen capture and mass detection experiments demonstrate a sensitivity of 7.19 {+-} 0.74{sup o} mm{sup 2}/ng with a detection limit of 6.7 {+-} 0.40 pg/mm{sup 2} for each channel.

The various experiments on neutrino oscillation evidenced that neutrinos have indeed non-zero masses but cannot tell us the absolute neutrino mass scale. This scale of neutrino masses is very important for understanding the evolution and the structure formation of the universe as well as for nuclear and particle physics beyond the present Standard Model. Complementary to deducing constraints on the sum of all neutrino masses from cosmological observations two different methods to determine the neutrino mass scale in the laboratory are pursued: the search for neutrinoless double $\\beta$-decay and the direct neutrino mass search by investigating single $\\beta$-decays or electron captures. The former method is not only sensitive to neutrino masses but also probes the Majorana character of neutrinos and thus lepton number violation with high sensitivity. Currently quite a few experiments with different techniques are being constructed, commissioned or are even running, which aim for a sensitivity on the neutrino ...

We propose and fabricate a new type fiber acoustic sensor based on dual fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) configuration. The acoustic sensor head is constructed by putting the sensing cells enclosed in an aluminum cylinder space built by two Cband FBGs and a titanium diaphragm of 50 um thickness. One end of each FBG is longitudinally adhered to the diaphragm by UV glue. Both of the two FBGs are employed for reflecting light. The dual FBGs play roles not only as signal transmission system but also as sensing component, and they demodulate each other's optical signal mutually during the measurement. Both of the two FBGs are pre-strained and the output optical power experiences fluctuation in a linear relationship along with a variation of axial strain and surrounding acoustic interference. So a precise approach to measure the frequency and sound pressure of the acoustic disturbance is achieved. Experiments are performed and results show that a relatively flat frequency response in a range from 200 Hz to 1 kHz with the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) above 21 dB is obtained. The maximum sound pressure sensitivity of 11.35mV/Pa is achieved with the Rsquared value of 0.99131 when the sound pressure in the range of 87.7-106.6dB. It has potential applications in low frequency signal detection. Owing to its direct self-demodulation method, the sensing system reveals the advantages of easy to demodulate, good temperature stability and measurement reliability. Besides, performance of the proposed sensor could be improved by optimizing the parameters of the sensor, especially the diaphragm.

A type of combined optical fiber interferometric acoustic emission sensor is proposed.The sensor can be independent on the laser source and make light interference by matching the lengths of two arms,so it can be used to monitor the health of large structure.Theoretical analyses indicate that the system can be equivalent to the Michelson interferometer with two optical fiber loop reflectors,and its sensitivity has been remarkably increased because of the decrease of the losses of light energy.PZT is powered by DC regulator to control the operating point of the system,so the system can accurately detect feeble vibration which is generated by ultrasonic waves propagating on the surface of solid.The amplitude and the frequency of feeble vibration signal are obtained by detecting the output light intensity of intefferometer and using Fourier transform technique.The results indicate that the system can be used to detect the acoustic emission signals by the frequency characteristics.

We describe a convenient approach for measuring the velocity vSAW of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) of the near-surface layer of a material through optical pump-probe measurements. The method has a lateral spatial resolution of elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane phase-shift mask which is fabricated using a commercially available Si grating as a mold. Time-domain electromagnetics calculations show, in agreement with experiment, that the efficiency of the phase-shift mask for generating and detecting SAWs decreases rapidly as the periodicity of the mask decreases below the optical wavelength. We validate the experimental approach using bulk and thin film samples with known elastic constants.

We discuss the possibility to use a high energy neutrino beam from a muon storage ring to provide one way communication with a submerged submarine. Neutrino interactions produce muons which can be detected either, directly when they pass through the submarine or by their emission of Cerenkov light in sea water, which, in turn, can be exploited with sensitive photo detectors. Due to the very high neutrino flux from a muon storage ring, it is sufficient to mount either detection system directly onto the hull of the submersible. The achievable data transfer rates compare favorable with existing technologies and do allow for a communication at the usual speed and depth of submarines.

We discuss the possibility to use a high energy neutrino beam from a muon storage ring to provide one way communication with a submerged submarine. Neutrino interactions produce muons which can be detected either, directly when they pass through the submarine or by their emission of Cerenkov light in sea water, which, in turn, can be exploited with sensitive photo detectors. Due to the very high neutrino flux from a muon storage ring, it is sufficient to mount either detection system directly onto the hull of the submersible. The achievable data transfer rates compare favorable with existing technologies and do allow for a communication at the usual speed and depth of submarines.

Along with a thermal distribution of photons, we expect a thermal distribution of neutrinos to have been produced in the big bang. Although direct detection of the cosmic neutrino background (CNB) is extremely difficult, if not impossible, there is much we are learning indirectly about the CNB from its gravitational influences. I will review constraints from cosmic microwave background observations on the energy density in the CNB, present a recent detection of supersonic evolution of density perturbations in the CNB, and discuss constraints on neutrino masses from cosmological observables. I will also look toward what we can expect from future cosmological surveys, such as CMB-S4.

This thesis presents two methods of analyzing the effectiveness of a prototype differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) detection circuit. The first method is to make modifications to the existing hardware to reliably output and record the cross-correlation values of the DPSK detection process. The second method is to write a MATLAB detection algorithm which accurately simulates the detection results of the hardware system without the need of any electronics. These two systems were tested and verified with a bench test using computer generated DPSK signals. The hardware system was tested using real acoustic data from shallow and deep water at-sea tests to determine the effectiveness of the DPSK detection circuit in different ocean environments. The hydrophone signals from the tests were recorded so that the cross-correlation values could be verified using the MATLAB detector. As a result of this study, these two systems provided more insight into how well the DPSK detection prototype works and helped to identify ways of improving the detection reliability and overall performance of the prototype DPSK detection circuit.

The field of neutrino physics has expanded greatly in recent years with the discovery that neutrinos change flavor and therefore have mass. Although there are many neutrino physics results since the last DIS workshop, these proceedings concentrate on recent neutrino physics results that either add to or depend on the understanding of Deep Inelastic Scattering. They also describe the short and longer term future of neutrino DIS experiments.

Protons accelerated in the cores of active galactic nuclei can effectively produce neutrinos only if the soft radiation background in the core is sufficiently high. We find restrictions on the spectral properties and luminosity of blazars under which they can be strong neutrino sources. We analyze the possibility that the neutrino flux is highly beamed along the rotation axis of the central black hole. The enhancement of the neutrino flux compared to the GeV γ-ray flux from a given source makes the detection of neutrino point sources more probable. At the same time the smaller open angle reduces the number of possible neutrino-loud blazars compared to the number of γ-ray loud ones. We present a table of 15 blazars which are the most likely candidates for the detection by future neutrino telescopes

The JHF-Kamioka neutrino project is a second generation long base line neutrino oscillation experiment that probes physics beyond the Standard Model by high precision measurements of the neutrino masses and mixing. A high intensity narrow band neutrino beam is produced by secondary pions created by a high intensity proton synchrotron at JHF (JAERI). The neutrino energy is tuned to the oscillation maximum at ~1 GeV for a baseline length of 295 km towards the world largest water Cerenkov detect...

This conference proceeding discusses new results arising from atmospheric neutrinodetection in the Super-Kamiokande and IceCube experiments. Super-Kamiokande has measured atmospheric neutrinos in the energy range of 100 MeV-10 TeV and uses this data set to conclusively measure the east-west effect to 8.0 (6.0) $\\sigma$ for electron (muon) neutrinos. IceCube is ideal for measuring high energy atmospheric neutrinos and has explored how different production channels for atmospheric neutrinos contribute to the total overall observed flux. The measurement is consistent with the conventional spectrum, produced by the decay of pions and kaon, while the contribution from the prompt channel (due to charm decay) is consistent with zero.

The problem of missing solar neutrinos is reviewed and discussed. The experiments of the 70s show a solar neutrino flux to be 4 times lower than the flux predicted by the standard model of the Sun. The three possible origins of this contradiction are analysed: the cross sections of nuclear reactions going on in the internal region of the Sun must be remeasured; the unknown properties of neutrino, like neutrino oscillation or decay, must be investigated theoretically and experimentally; or the standard model of the Sun must be changed, e.g. by a periodically pulsating star model or by a model describing periodic admixtures of He-3 to the central region of the Sun. Some new models and newly proposed experiments are described. The importance of new electronic detection methods of neutrinos is underlined. (D.Gy.)

Neutrinos could be key particles to unravel the nature of the dark matter of the Universe. On the one hand, sterile neutrinos in minimal extensions of the Standard Model are excellent dark matter candidates, producing potentially observable signals in the form of a line in the X-ray sky. On the other hand, the annihilation or the decay of dark matter particles produces, in many plausible dark matter scenarios, a neutrino flux that could be detected at neutrino telescopes, thus providing non-gravitational evidence for dark matter. More conservatively, the non-observation of a significant excess in the neutrino fluxes with respect to the expected astrophysical backgrounds can be used to constrain dark matter properties, such as the self-annihilation cross section, the scattering cross section with nucleons and the lifetime

At about 40 km off the coast of Toulon (France), anchored at 2475 m deep in the Mediterranean Sea, there is ANTARES: the first undersea neutrino telescope and the only one currently operating. The detector consists of 885 photomultiplier tubes arranged into 12 strings of 450-metres high, with the aim to detect the Cherenkov light induced by the charged superluminal interaction products of neutrinos. Its main scientific target is the search for high-energy (TeV and beyond) neutrinos from cosmic accelerators, as predicted by hadronic interaction models, and the measurement of the cosmic neutrino diffuse flux, focusing in particular on events coming from below the horizon (up-going events) in order to significantly reduce the atmospheric muons background. Thanks to the development of a strategy for the identification of neutrinos coming from above the horizon (down-going events) the field of view of the telescope will be extended.

Neutrinos could be key particles to unravel the nature of the dark matter of the Universe. On the one hand, sterile neutrinos in minimal extensions of the Standard Model are excellent dark matter candidates, producing potentially observable signals in the form of a line in the X-ray sky. On the other hand, the annihilation or the decay of dark matter particles produces, in many plausible dark matter scenarios, a neutrino flux that could be detected at neutrino telescopes, thus providing non-gravitational evidence for dark matter. More conservatively, the non-observation of a significant excess in the neutrino fluxes with respect to the expected astrophysical backgrounds can be used to constrain dark matter properties, such as the self-annihilation cross section, the scattering cross section with nucleons and the lifetime.

Searching for the Ultra high energy Cosmic rays and Neutrinos of $> 10^{20} eV$ is of great cosmological importance. A powerful technique is to search for the \\v{C}erenkov radio emission caused by UHECR or UHE neutrinos impinging on the lunar regolith. We examine in this paper feasibility of detecting these events by observing with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) which has a large collecting area and operates over a wide frequency range with an orthogonal polarisation capability. W...

The Black Thunder Coal Mine (BTCM) near Gillette, Wyoming was used as a test bed to determine the feasibility of detecting explosion-induced geomagnetic disturbances with ground-based induction magnetometers. Two magnetic observatories were fielded at distances of 50 km and 64 km geomagnetically north from the northernmost edge of BTCM. Each observatory consisted of three separate but mutually orthogonal magnetometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) timing, battery and solar power, a data acquisition and storage system, and a three-axis seismometer. Explosions with yields of 1 to 3 kT of TNT equivalent occur approximately every three weeks at BTCM. We hypothesize that explosion-induced acoustic waves propagate upward and interact collisionally with the ionosphere to produce ionospheric electron density (and concomitant current density) perturbations which act as sources for geomagnetic disturbances. These disturbances propagate through an ionospheric Alfven waveguide that we postulate to be leaky (due to the imperfectly conducting lower ionospheric boundary). Consequently, wave energy may be observed on the ground. We observed transient pulses, known as Q-bursts, with pulse widths about 0.5 s and with spectral energy dominated by the Schumann resonances. These resonances appear to be excited in the earth-ionosphere cavity by Alfven solitons that may have been generated by the explosion-induced acoustic waves reaching the ionospheric E and F regions and that subsequently propagate down through the ionosphere to the atmosphere. In addition, we observe late time (> 800 s) ultra low frequency (ULF) geomagnetic perturbations that appear to originate in the upper F region ({approximately}300 km) and appear to be caused by the explosion-induced acoustic wave interacting with that part of the ionosphere. We suggest that explosion-induced Q-bursts may be discriminated from naturally occurring Q-bursts by association of the former with the late time explosion-induced ULF

This report initially discusses the Homestake Mine Experiment, South Dakota, U.S.A. which has been detectingneutrinos in 38 x 10 litre vats of cleaning fluid containing chlorine since the 1960's. The interation between neutrinos and chlorine produces argon so the number of neutrinos over time can be calculated. However, the number of neutrinos which have been detected represent only one third to one quarter of the expected number i.e. 11 per month rather than 48. It is postulated that the electron-neutrinos originating in the solar core could change into muon- or tau-neutrinos during passage through the high electron densities of the sun. The 'low' results at Homestake could thus be explained by the fact that the experiment is only sensitive to electron-neutrinos. The construction of a heavy water detector is therefore proposed as it would be able to determine the energy of the neutrinos, their time of arrival at the detector and their direction. It is proposed to build the detector at Creighton mine near Sudbury at a depth of 6800 feet below ground level thus shielding the detector from cosmic rays which would completely obscure the neutrino signals from the detector. The report then discusses the facility itself, the budget estimate and the social and economic impact on the surrounding area. At the time of publication the proposal for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory was due to be submitted for peer review by Oct. 1, 1987 and then to various granting bodies charged with the funding of scientific research in Canada, the U.S.A. and Britain

We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments, that toe the cutting edge of neutrino research. Short baseline experiments have provided the measurement of the reactor neutrino spectrum, and are still searching for important phenomena such as the neutrino magnetic moment. They could open the door to the measurement of coherent neutrino scattering in a near future. Middle and long baseline oscillation experiments at Chooz and KamLAND have played a relevant role in neutrino oscillation physics in the last years. It is now widely accepted that a new middle baseline disappearance reactor neutrino experiment with multiple detectors could provide a clean measurement of the last undetermined neutrino mixing angle theta13. We conclude by opening on possible use of neutrinos for Society: NonProliferation of Nuclear materials and Geophysics.

The characteristics of sound propagation in a steam generator were tested in order to investigate the feasibility of an acoustic leak detection by small leak sodium-water reactions. The test model was composed of the vessel filled with water, the inner pipe, the shroud, and two heat transfer coils. Transducers, gas leak nozzles and an underwater speaker were set up for the simulated sound source. The results indicate that the acoustic signal detected at the vessel wall has a comparable SN ratio to the guide pipe or the heat transfer tubes, and that the difference of the RMS values depend on the standing wave, rather than the attenuation by distance or diffractions, Therefore, it was estimated that the sound field in the vessel was reverberant, and the difference between one and two helical coils depends on the sound energy absorption by them. The RMS values in the high frequency range (more than 50 kHz) do not increase in proportion to the gas leak rate, more than about 200 cc/s, because of the attenuation by gas bubbles. (author)

A biosensor combining the sensitivity of surface acoustic waves (SAW) generated at a frequency of 325 MHz with the specificity provided by antibodies and other ligands for the detection of viral agents. In a preferred embodiment, a lithium tantalate based SAW transducer with silicon dioxide waveguide sensor platform featuring three test and one reference delay lines was used to adsorb antibodies directed against Coxsackie virus B4 or the negative-stranded category A bioagent Sin Nombre virus (SNV). Rapid detection of increasing concentrations of viral particles was linear over a range of order of magnitude for both viruses, and the sensor's selectivity for its target was not compromised by the presence of confounding Herpes Simplex virus type 1 The biosensor was able to delect SNV at doses lower than the load of virus typically found in a human patient suffering from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS).

Swept-Frequency Acoustic Interferometry (SFAI) is a nonintrusive liquid characterization technique developed specifically for detecting and identifying chemical warfare (CW) compounds inside sealed munitions. The SFAI technique can rapidly (less than 20 seconds) and accurately determine sound speed and sound attenuation of a liquid inside a container over a wide frequency range (1 kHz-15 MHz). From the frequency-dependent sound attenuation measurement, liquid density is determined. These three physical properties are used to uniquely identify the CW compounds. In addition, various chemical relaxation processes in liquids and particle size distribution in emulsions can also be determined from the frequency-dependent attenuation measurement. The SFAI instrument is battery-operated and highly portable (< 6 lb.). The instrument has many potential application in industry ranging from sensitive detection (ppm level) of contamination to process control. The theory of the technique will be described and examples of several chemical industry applications will be presented.

The continuous geomagnetic field survey holds an important potential in future prevention of tsunami damages, and also, it could be used in tsunami forecast. In this work, we were able to detected for the first time Rayleigh and ionospheric acoustic gravity wave propagation in the Z-component of the geomagnetic field due to the Japanese tsunami, 2011 prior to the tsunami arrival. The geomagnetic measurements were obtained in the epicentral near and far-field. Also, these waves were detected within minutes to few hours of the tsunami arrival. For these reasons, these results are very encouraging, and confirmed that the geomagnetic field monitoring could play an important role in the tsunami warning systems, and also, it could provide additional information in the induced ionospheric wave propagation models due to tsunamis.

The relatively poor dynamic response of current flexible strain gauges has prevented their wide adoption in portable electronics. In this work, we present a greatly improved flexible strain gauge, where one strip of Au nanoparticle （NP） monolayer assembled on a polyethylene terephthalate film is utilized as the active unit. The proposed flexible gauge is capable of responding to applied stimuli without detectable hysteresis via electron tunneling between adjacent nanoparticles within the Au NP monolayer. Based on experimental quantification of the time and frequency domain dependence of the electrical resistance of the proposed strain gauge, acoustic vibrations in the frequency range of 1 to 20,000 Hz could be reliably detected. In addition to being used to measure musical tone, audible speech, and creature vocalization, as demonstrated in this study, the ultrafast dynamic response of this flexible strain gauge can be used in a wide range of applications, including miniaturized vibratory sensors, safe entrance guard management systems, and ultrasensitive pressure sensors.

This report reviews progress made on NA22 project LL251DP to develop a novel technique, Nuclear Acoustic Resonance (NAR), for remote, non-destructive, nonradiation-based detection of materials of interest to Nonproliferation Programs, including {sup 235}U and {sup 239}Pu. We have met all milestones and deliverables for FY05, as shown in Table 1. In short, we have developed a magnetic shield chamber and magnetic field, develop a digital lock-in amplifier computer to integrate both the ultrasound radiation with the detector, developed strain measurements, and begin to perform initial measurements to obtain a NAR signal from aluminum at room temperature and near the earth's magnetic field. The results obtained in FY05 further support the feasibility of successful demonstration of an NAR experiment for remote, non-destructive, non-radiation-based detection of materials of interest to Nonproliferation Programs.

A biosensor combining the sensitivity of surface acoustic waves (SAW) generated at a frequency of 325 MHz with the specificity provided by antibodies and other ligands for the detection of viral agents. In a preferred embodiment, a lithium tantalate based SAW transducer with silicon dioxide waveguide sensor platform featuring three test and one reference delay lines was used to adsorb antibodies directed against Coxsackie virus B4 or the negative-stranded category A bioagent Sin Nombre virus (SNV). Rapid detection of increasing concentrations of viral particles was linear over a range of order of magnitude for both viruses, and the sensor's selectivity for its target was not compromised by the presence of confounding Herpes Simplex virus type 1 The biosensor was able to delect SNV at doses lower than the load of virus typically found in a human patient suffering from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS).

The damage mechanisms associated with crude oil storage tanks can be complex and varied and include pitting corrosion due to presence of species such as sulphate reducing bacteria. Acoustic Emission (AE) could be used to characterise the pitting corrosion signal in crude oil storage tanks but it is extremely difficult to simulate the pitting corrosion in the laboratory using crude oil as electrolyte because crude oil is considered as non corrosive medium. In this study, induced current have been introduced onto a surface ASTM 516 steel as an electrical source to simulate the electrical noise produced during pitting corrosion process and AE sensor have been used to detect this current. It is found that AE system could detect AE signal release during current induction this current and is expected that if the exact simulation of the current magnitude produced during pitting corrosion process is made available, AE characterisation of pitting corrosion in such tank could be made possible. (Author)

This paper presents the results of different searches for correlations between very high-energy neutrino candidates detected by IceCube and the highest-energy cosmic rays measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory and the Telescope Array. We first consider samples of cascade neutrino events and of high-energy neutrino-induced muon tracks, which provided evidence for a neutrino flux of astrophysical origin, and study their cross-correlation with the ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) samples as a function of angular separation. We also study their possible directional correlations using a likelihood method stacking the neutrino arrival directions and adopting different assumptions on the size of the UHECR magnetic deflections. Finally, we perform another likelihood analysis stacking the UHECR directions and using a sample of through-going muon tracks optimized for neutrino point-source searches with sub-degree angular resolution. No indications of correlations at discovery level are obtained for any of the sear...

A general overview of neutrino physics and astrophysics is given, starting with a historical account of the development of our understanding of neutrinos and how they helped to unravel the structure of the Standard Model. We discuss why it is so important to establish if neutrinos are massive and introduce the main scenarios to provide them a mass. The present bounds and the positive indications in favor of non-zero neutrino masses are discussed, including the recent results on atmospheric and solar neutrinos. The major role that neutrinos play in astrophysics and cosmology is illustrated. (author)

Neutrinos are a messenger of extreme condition inside a supernova core and a new-born neutron star. Since current ground-based detectors have potential to detect 10 000 neutrinos from supernova at the galactic center, they could tell us lots of important physics. It includes: explosion mechanism, shock wave propagation, core temperature, and gravitational binding energy, as well as neutrino properties as elementary particle. In addition to the galactic supernova neutrino burst, one can still learn about them with diffuse supernova neutrino background, which is also soon to be detected. We review current situation from both points of view, and discuss prospects for future neutrino astrophysics

Recent constrains on the sum of neutrino masses inferred by analyzing cosmological data, show that detecting a non-zero neutrino mass is within reach of forthcoming cosmological surveys, implying a direct determination of the absolute neutrino mass scale. The measurement relies on constraining the shape of the matter power spectrum below the neutrino free streaming scale: massive neutrinos erase power at these scales. Detection of a lack of small-scale power, however, could also be due to a host of other effects. It is therefore of paramount importance to validate neutrinos as the source of power suppression at small scales. We show that, independent on hierarchy, neutrinos always show a footprint on large, linear scales; the exact location and properties can be related to the measured power suppression (an astrophysical measurement) and atmospheric neutrinos mass splitting (a neutrino oscillation experiment measurement). This feature can not be easily mimicked by systematic uncertainties or modifications in ...

This paper demonstrates the importance of accounting for environmental effects on passive underwater acoustic monitoring results. The situation considered is the reduction in shipping off the California coast between 2008-2010 due to the recession and environmental legislation. The resulting variations in ocean noise change the probability of detecting marine mammal vocalizations. An acoustic model was used to calculate the time-varying probability of detecting humpback whale vocalizations under best-guess environmental conditions and varying noise. The uncorrected call counts suggest a diel pattern and an increase in calling over a two-year period; the corrected call counts show minimal evidence of these features. PMID:24181982

Acoustic signals measured in normal state and during simulated H2O-microleaks in a sodium-heated steam generator are of random nature. This signal property is the starting-point for the derivation of a leak detection conception based on the statistical decision theory. By means of experimental results the statistical properties of acoustic signals are determined and suitable detection characteristics are proposed. A signal-theoretical model of the detection characteristic ''pulserate'' is presented and experimentally verified. The detection parameters are optimized by means of this model and by the use of a modified Neyman-Pearson-criterion providing minimum detection time. The limits of the proposed detection method are discussed

By requiring the lower limit for the lightest right-handed neutrino mass, obtained in the baryogenesis from leptogenesis scenario, and a Dirac neutrino mass matrix similar to the up-quark mass matrix we predict small values for the $\

In recent years, there has been considerable discussion on the field called neutrino astronomy which represents exciting prospect in that it deals with the radiations which are distinct from electromagnetic spectra. Because of the unique, enormously long interaction mean free path of neutrinos, this field can in principle give extremely valuable complementary information about the universe, in particular about the conditions in the core of the sun and the energy balance and extent of the galaxy. Remarkable difference is observed when outlining of the development of neutrino astronomy is attempted in a manner similar to that for radio astronomy. The development on solar neutrinos, calculation of solar neutrino flux, solar neutrino search experiments, efforts to resolve the discrepancy between theory and experiment concerning the neutrinos from the sun, chemistry consideration, nuclear physics problems, astrophysical calculation, neutrino physics and other physical accomplishments are reviewed in the report. (Iwase, T.)

After a general introduction into the mixing of muon and electron neutrinos due to a possible mass difference between these particles some experiments for the study of neutrino oscillations are described. (HSI).

The paper discusses the use of wideband excitation in nonlinear vibro-acoustic modulation technique (VAM) used for damage detection. In its original form, two mono-harmonic signals (low and high frequency) are used for excitation. The low frequency excitation is typically selected based on a modal analysis test and high frequency excitation is selected arbitrarily in the ultrasonic frequency range. This paper presents a different approach with use of wideband excitation signals. The proposed approach gives the possibility to simplify the testing procedure by omitting the modal test used to determine the value of low frequency excitation. Simultaneous use of wideband excitation for high frequency solves the ambiguity related to the selection of the frequency of acoustic wave. Broadband excitation signals require, however, more elaborate signal processing methods to determine the intensity of modulation for a given bandwidth. The paper discusses the proposed approach and the related signal processing procedure. Experimental validation of the proposed technique is performed on a laminated composite plate with a barely visible impact damage that was generated in an impact test. Piezoceramic actuators are used for vibration excitation and a scanning laser vibrometer is used for noncontact data acquisition.

The next generation multi-cubic-kilometre water Cherenkov neutrino telescope will be build in the Mediterranean Sea. This telescope, called KM3NeT, is currently entering a first construction phase. The KM3NeT research infrastructure will comprise 690 so-called Detection Units in its final design which will be anchored to the sea bed and held upright by submerged floats. The positions of these Detection Units, several hundred metres in length, and their attached Optical Modules for the detection of Cherenkov light have to be monitored continously to provide the telescope with its desired pointing precision. A standard way to do this is the utilisation of an acoustic positioning system using emitters at fixed positions and receivers distributed along the Detection Units. The KM3NeT neutrino telescope comprises a custom-made acoustic positioning system with newly designed emitters attached to the anchors of the Detection Units and custom-designed receivers attached to the Detection Units. This article describes an approach for a receiver and its performance. The proposed Opto-Acoustical Modules combine the optical sensors for the telescope with the acoustical sensors necessary for the positioning of the module itself. This combination leads to a compact design suited for an easy deployment of the numerous Detection Units. Furthermore, the instrumented volume can be used for scientific analyses such as marine science and acoustic particle detection.

A general overview of neutrino physics and astrophysics is given, starting with a historical account of the development of our understanding of neutrinos and how they helped to unravel the structure of the Standard Model. We discuss why it is so important to establish if neutrinos are massive and introduce the main scenarios to provide them a mass. The present bounds and the positive indications in favor of non-zero neutrino masses are discussed, including the recent results on atmospheric an...

These lectures aim at providing a pedagogical overview of neutrino physics. We will mostly deal with standard neutrinos, the ones that are part of the Standard Model of particle physics, and with their standard dynamics, which is enough to understand in a coherent picture most of the rich data available. After introducing the basic theoretical framework, we will illustrate the experimental determination of the neutrino parameters and their theoretical implications, in particular for the origin of neutrino masses.

UHE particle detection using the lunar Cherenkov technique aims to detect nanosecond pulses of Cherenkov emission which are produced during UHE cosmic ray and neutrino interactions in the Moon's regolith. These pulses will reach Earth-based telescopes dispersed, and therefore reduced in amplitude, due to their propagation through the Earth's ionosphere. To maximise the received signal to noise ratio and subsequent chances of pulse detection, ionospheric dispersion must therefore be corrected, and since the high time resolution would require excessive data storage this correction must be made in real time. This requires an accurate knowledge of the dispersion characteristic which is parameterised by the instantaneous Total Electron Content (TEC) of the ionosphere. A new method to calibrate the dispersive effect of the ionosphere on lunar Cherenkov pulses has been developed for the LUNASKA lunar Cherenkov experiments. This method exploits radial symmetries in the distribution of the Moon's polarised emission to make Faraday rotation measurements in the visibility domain of synthesis array data (i.e. instantaneously). Faraday rotation measurements are then combined with geomagnetic field models to estimate the ionospheric TEC. This method of ionospheric calibration is particularly attractive for the lunar Cherenkov technique as it may be used in real time to estimate the ionospheric TEC along a line-of-sight to the Moon and using the same radio telescope.

We study the decay of heavy sterile Majorana neutrinos according to the interactions obtained from an effective general theory. We describe the two and three-body decays for a wide range of neutrino masses. The results obtained and presented in this work could be useful for the study of the production and detection of this particles in a variety of high energy physics experiments and astrophysical observations. We show in different figures the dominant branching ratios and the total decay width.